Pokemon Ranger: Out of the Darkness
by Have Faith In Yourself
Summary: Ten disappearances, ten legendary pokemon, ten glowing stones, countless nightmares, love. Time is running out. Kanto is throwing its strongest at Kate and Keith, and a new enemy is rising in Almia. Can they find the answer they're looking for? COMPLETE!
1. Prologue: Trouble in the Ranger Union

**_A/N PLEASE TAKE A FEW MINUTES TO READ THIS_****: So... Yeah. Not your usual Pokemon Ranger Fic, I suppose. This one is set AFTER the whole storyline of Shadows of Almia, and it really jumps around from POV to POV, so it's not really the expected, "Let's retell everything that happened in the storyline from the main characters Point of View" fic. If you're reading this, then you KNOW what happened in the storyline of Shadows of Almia. If not, I suggest you get the game and play it through.**

**So, after completing the game and the browser and the capture arena and dealing with the stupidity of the repetitive cutscenes, I got to thinking, "How did Kate just bounce back? She faced a nightmare in and of itself! Darkrai was unmercifully hard, and besides the fact that she beat him, how did she just go on smiling?!" and then I got to thinking, "Well, maybe the game lied and she really didn't just bounce back." and that led to thoughts of "If she didn't just bounce back, if she was really hiding all sorts of miseries, then what could happen later on in the story, the part you never see?" and therefore, this idea was born and it was growing all the time.**

**_PAIRING_: Kate/Keith, obviously.**

**_FULL SUMMARY_****: Kate has disappeared. Tensions rise in the Ranger Union as at first, search parties go out, but with no success, and later, Keith reveals that he just can't operate well enough without her. Sven and Wendy, wannabe-cupids that they are, set him up with a new girl. But this girl has more to hide than meets the eye. And what's wrong with the Pokemon this time, with odd gashes appearing on all sorts, sea and land Pokemon included?**

**

* * *

**_POKEMON RANGER, OUT OF THE DARKNESS_ - Prologue: Troube In The Ranger Union.

* * *

The Operations Room at the Ranger Union in Almia Region was a panicked jumble of Operators and Mechanics and three very confused Top Rangers standing before the screen that revealed where every Top Ranger, all twelve of them, was in Almia. Except for the little problem that there were only eleven flashing lights on the screen, three of them at the Ranger Union, two out working in the Haruba Desert, two in Pueltown, two in the Hia Valley, and two off in Boyleland. One of the three Top Rangers that were staring at the screen, a younger boy with red hair, stated despondently, "She's not there."

An older Ranger with a cowboy hat on his head nodded and looked at the Fine Styler on his arm, before sighing, "Her Styler Tracker is off." He glanced at the younger boy worriedly, "But Keith, there's no need to worry… after all, Kate is perfectly capable–"

"I know she's capable! We both started out in the Ranger School and I saw how good she was with a Styler… She was never afraid of getting hurt… she knew when she should help people… she stepped forward when everyone else besides myself stepped back…" the boy, Keith, shook his head with his eyes closed, "She was always grinning."

The third Ranger and only girl of the three blinked slightly, "She never seemed to grin after Operation Brighton… four weeks of nothing but blank stares or staring off into space… She was never quite the same."

Keith sighed, "Wendy, the thing that bothers me is… she hadn't been quite the same. Rhythmi and I tried to talk to her every day, but she was so… reserved." He trailed off, looking back up at the screen, "Her hair was always up before Operation Brighton… that was the first… and only… time that it was down."

"Her hair was down?" Wendy asked, sudden confusion and worry appearing on her face. "How did that happen? When I saw her right after the event her hair was up."

Keith shook his head, "She never spoke about it after that, so I didn't know just how it happened, but I do know that her hair was down when I pulled her out of the darkness. She captured Darkrai with a vigor that I had never seen before from her. Her eyes were sharp, her gaze hard… she was way too… determined… to get it over with."

The older ranger 'hummed' in thought: tapping his chin as he started to pace. Keith looked up at him and raised an eyebrow, "What are you thinking, Sven?"

"I'm thinking," Sven started, "That she doesn't want to be found. Look at the signs that have been building up without our noticing. She stopped grinning, she stopped talking to everyone, and she was more determined to finish the Browser, and the Capture Arena too, once she had found it. And then when she had finished everything off, she merely fielded everyone's congratulations. Now she's disappeared. She wanted to finish it all before taking a leave of absence, but she knew that the Union would still have a way to contact her, and that they would. So she's turned off her Styler tracking device, because she knows that's the only way we really have of tracking her. Kate has learned a lot from her time as a Ranger, and she's gone through much more than most of us here have. I'm sure she just needs a break or something." His voice wasn't all that convincing, even though everything he had said had made sense. "We'll give her a few weeks, then start looking."

Keith looked away from the two older and more experienced Rangers before him, and his voice shook dangerously when he finally spoke, ready to break, "I hope she's all right."

Sven and Wendy shared looks with each other, sensing the despair that was washing over Keith. His usually vibrant, bright green eyes were now a dark hunter green color, and his cheeky grin had vanished. Neither had really questioned his relationship with Kate, but now they both had to wonder. Kate had always been semi-open, semi-reserved when around Keith, as though she was trying to hide something from him; neither had noticed that Keith had been getting more and more exuberant whenever he talked to her, grinning madly whenever she smiled.

Had he loved her? One look at the disappointed eyes was enough to give that question a resounding yes. Did she love him? ...That, was a much trickier question.

Wendy shook her head almost imperceptibly before striding out of the room, followed soon after by Sven, leaving Keith to only stare at the screen where the telltale flashing light that marked where Kate was remained missing.

'_I hope to Ho-oh that she's all right._' He thought, finally turning away when he felt Rhythmi's eyes on him, and leaving the room to go lie under the Tree of Harmony. It was going to be a long time before he saw Kate again.

---One Year Later---

Keith had grown over the last year. His ambitious work in the field made many of the older Rangers come to envy him, though none of them ever truly saw him interacting with other Rangers. Rhythmi, the number one Operator in the Union due to more quests acknowledged and more data transmitted over the year, watched worriedly as Keith once more walked past her without acknowledgement.

"Keith," she finally spoke up sharply, before he made it to the stairs. He stopped mid-step, not looking around at her. "You need to talk to someone." She continued, "You can't just keep going on like this."

"…"

"Keith, are you even listening to me?"

"…"

"We used to be so close, Keith." Rhythmi was almost crying now, "What happened?!"

"…Kate."

The word was said so quietly she almost thought she had imagined it. Keith still didn't look around and his head was bowed, and she could see that his fists were clenched. Rhythmi blinked as he stormed up the stairs to the top floor to sit under the Tree of Harmony once more.

---

Sven and Wendy had their heads bowed and they were determined to get things going on the right track. The first thing they needed to do was to get Keith out of his funk. They got a report in from the Pueltown rangers on duty that there was a new girl taking up residence there and that although she kept to herself, she was very nice.

"You think maybe she might be able to get him out of this?" Sven asked Wendy, looking covertly over at Keith, "I mean, he's been like this for nearly a year, ever since Kate went missing."

"Have you even heard the reports about the girl? She saved Melody; she has to be good." Wendy muttered, also glancing to get a look at the morose ranger. "After all, she had the courage to dive headfirst into the water while our rangers were already on the way, She had the strength to pull Melody back up, and she had the knowledge to perform CPR and bring Melody back." She grinned, "She's perfect for mister gloomy over there."

Sven rubbed his chin in thought, before nodding slightly, "Maybe you're right. Contact the rangers in Pueltown, and tell them that one of them is going to go to Vientown to keep watch with Barlow. We'll need a reason to send him there, you know."

"Right!" Wendy nodded, punching in the data on her Styler before sending the message. Keith looked up briefly when Sven told him he was going to be stationed in Pueltown for the time being. He shrugged silently and stood to move out, get a Staraptor, and get going to Pueltown.

'_It was going to be a long time..._' he thought sadly, '_a long time to get used to this again._'

* * *

**A/N: SO there we are. I know it's really short of a chapter, but bear with me. This was basically the introduction chapter and things will get better next one, which I'm working on right now. I'm sure all of you are wondering what Wendy meant about that girl -grins- but alas, you shall be forced to wait until the next installment. =P**


	2. Chapter One: Nightmares

_POKEMON RANGER, OUT OF THE DARKNESS_ - Chapter One: Nightmares

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Nightmarish images crossed her field of vision, all too familiar, all too strange. She remembered seeing these before, yet they weren't memories. She never experienced these things… had she?

Darkness tugged at her field of vision, wrapping inky tendrils of terror around her wrists and ankles and climbing around her waist. She screamed as the darkness pulled her hair ties out, letting her long brown hair fall onto her shoulders from its pigtails for the first time since she had put them in. Her blue eyes darted around, searching for something she couldn't see, someone she didn't know, somewhere she'd never been. She was terrified.

She wrenched her arms away from the tendrils of blackness, raising them above her head and grasping at the light as her eyes were covered by the darkness. She heard many people screaming, two of them all to familiar.

"Mr. Hall… me… help Wheeler… wretched Wheeler…"

"Can't… what's up… down… all black… someone… help!"

"Someone… help Wheeler… help wretched Wheeler…"

She opened her mouth in agony, screaming once more as a thousand nightmares flashed in her mind in mere seconds. The sound echoed around the darkness that surrounded her, fueling the horror she felt as she grabbed at the small, tiny dot of light that was quickly fading.

Something grasped around her wrists and she heard another familiar voice, "I've got you Kate, don't worry!" The darkness retreated and her vision turned light again, and she was dropped clear of the darkness.

"Kate, are you alright?" Keith asked her, perched on a Staraptor and staring at her in worry. The Yellow Gem flashed from beneath the jacket in which it hid, and she tugged it out. She handed it to Keith, pushing a long strand of hair out of her eyes before turning to look at the enraged Darkrai.

"This ends now." She whispered, moving toward Keith with the unsaid command to join Wendy and Sven. She hugged him tightly before whispering, "I might not make it… but this ends now."

Keith went to argue with her about her decision, but her eyes stopped him. She had a haunted look about her… a determined look. Her eyes were dark now.

"I'm going to finish this." She murmured, releasing him and running toward the Darkrai, ready to face the final nightmare once and for all.

---

She jerked into a sitting position with a small shriek, in a cold sweat, and tumbled out of bed; her covers were tangled around her legs. She pushed long strands of dark brown hair out of her light blue eyes, shivering in terror as she stumbled over to the mirror on the bureau and grasped the cold polished wood. A bright red Styler tumbled to the ground as she collapsed against the mirror, after seeing the same haunted gaze as every morning when she woke up in very much the same way.

She pulled the long brown hair into its usual ponytail and let out a shuddering sigh, before cursing softly.

"That was a year ago, damnit!" she whispered, "Why can't I forget it?! I'm not that person anymore! KATE IS GONE!" She steamed silently for a moment, "And she's NEVER coming back!" She looked around at her Partner Pokemon before sighing and pointing at Chimchar, Munchlax, Kricketot, Cranidos, Starly, and Machop. They climbed from their cushiony beds that she had made them and stood next to the door, watching her get ready for her usual morning walk.

Pachirisu, her first partner of all, climbed up onto the bureau and then up her arm, resting itself comfortably on her shoulder and wrapping its tail around her neck. She scratched its cheek absently, still muttering angry words as she pulled the red Styler onto her forearm before storming out the door into the cool morning breeze.

The wind blew the few small strands of her hair that were free of the ponytail as she walked around Pueltown aimlessly, sighing slightly as she tugged the jacket around herself tighter. "Kate is gone. Teya's taken her place."

---That Afternoon---

"TEYA!" the young girl ran up to the teenager who was directing, in no particular order, a Chimchar, a Munchlax, a Starly, a Kricketot, a Machop, and a Cranidos while a Pachirisu sat on her shoulder with it's tail curled around her neck. Teya, the teenager, smiled very slightly and looked over to the small girl, "Hello, Melody. And how is your brother today?" Her dark brown hair was pulled up into a ponytail and her eyes, a light bluish color, were hiding behind thin frame glasses. Her build was limber, and she looked like she could run for a long time.

"Isaac is doing good!" the little blond said happily, "We went riding Doduos in the woods off of Altru Park yesterday."

Teya smiled and nodded, her eyes moving from Melody to the many Pokemon around her, "I heard about Altru Park, that's the green expanse beneath the Altru building?" she glanced back at the bouncing Melody, who was nodding furiously. Teya smiled ever so slightly again, "Sounds like a fun place to play."

Melody laughed musically, and Teya smiled sadly. She remembered days laughing with her own younger sister, running through the woods in Fiore region and playing with some of the familiar Pokemon there. Melody had seemed to instinctively take on the role of 'honorary Little Sis' to Teya, and she had fallen into this role happily.

Teya could never really see her as a sister when she knew her own sister was really just to the south. She appreciated Melody's attempts to cheer her up though, and even as the silent persona wandered around Pueltown, light blue eyes floating over the crowds and a small frown on the pale face, Teya couldn't exactly say she was entirely sad.

It had been about a year since Operation Brighton and though the first few weeks were hard on the young girl, she had managed to blend herself in with the people of Pueltown. The only one she really had problems with was Isaac, who had almost recognized her.

_The salty sea air was refreshing to most of the people's faces as they enjoyed the breeze. Melody sat poised on the edge of the docks and Teya sat a few yards away, silently staring out over the ocean. Melody was laughing at the water Pokemon swimming up to play with her feet, and nearby there were three other children tossing a ball back and forth. The pier was almost deserted._

_A desperate cry of "Bibibibibibarrel!" was the only warning of what was coming before Melody let out a terrified scream and went flying into the water, slammed off the pier by the Bibarrel that was running around in pain. Her head bobbed above the surface and she waved her arms in a panic for a few seconds._

_ "I CAN'T SWIM!" she shrieked, causing everyone to look and see her disappear under the water. For a second, no one knew what had happened, but one look at the crying Bibarrel showed more information than was necessary; there was blood streaming down its foreleg, and it's eyes were wide with fear and pain. Teya only needed to look once to realize that in it's panicked running, it had slammed into Melody and thrown her off the pier._

_There was a terror, someone yelled to get the rangers from the pub, and Teya stood staring at where Melody had disappeared under the water. Her eyes jammed closed for half a second, her face pained, then she ran and jumped from the pier into a dive… right as the rangers appeared to see her diving underwater. The blue enveloped her as she pushed herself downward after the retreating form of Melody, who was squirming in the tentacles of… a Tentacruel? She saw blood making the water turn a reddish color and her eyes widened in recognition of the familiar looking cut on the Tentacruel. It looked just like the one that was on the Bibarrel… but how?_

_She pulled something out of her pocket and placed it over her mouth and nose, taking in a deep breath and delving further. Melody and the Tentacruel had come to a rest on the sandy bottom of the shore and they weren't that far away anymore. Teya pushed her sleeve up to reveal a glowing red Styler, which she pointed toward the Tentacruel and the now still Melody. Small, miniscule bubbles were floating from Melody's mouth. She wasn't going to last much longer._

_'_Hold on, Melody!_' she thought desperately, releasing the Capture Disk on the Styler and sending it at the Tentacruel, which released Melody long enough to let her limp form fall to the sandy bottom beneath it. Expertly, Teya directed the Styler to circle the Tentacruel. A Quilfish swam over to her and she directed to it with her hand, making it attack the Tentacruel on her account. The Styler blubbed an "OK!" sound and the Tentacruel moved away after she pressed the "Release" button._

_Swimming down further towards the small, vulnerable form on the ocean floor, Teya looked at the Styler. '_Maybe I should call for help._' She thought, before once again looking at Melody, '_No, they wouldn't get here fast enough._' She hooked her arms under the small form and kicked off the sand, swimming upward. _

_A Mantine swam by her and she gestured upward, pulling off the mask and replacing it in her pocket after pulling down her sleeve over the Styler. The Mantine swam beneath her feet and pushed her up far enough to almost come into view of the surface, and she started swimming the rest of the way. Her lungs burned, but she didn't dare to take another breath with the mask that she had discarded._

_'_Just… a little… more!_' she kicked and broke the surface, gasping for air and already swimming for the dock. Melody was too still. She was too cold. Her eyes were closed. Pushing the little blond onto the dock, she hoisted herself up and checked her heartbeat and breathing._

_Gasping and panting, she started pushing rhythmically on the little chest, matching her own heartbeat for ten pumps before bending down and breathing steadily into the mouth with the nose clamped shut. '_For god's sake, Melody, be okay…_' She continued the process. Pump, pump, pump_,_ pump_,_ pump_,_ pump_,_ pump_,_ pump_,_ pump_, _pump, breath, breath, breath, breath, breath. _

_Melody gasped as water sputtered out of her mouth and she sat up in a panic, only lying back when Teya pushed her back down gently._

_"Are you alright?" she asked hurriedly, worry etched on her face. Melody looked up at her in confusion, and then looked around._

_An anguished voice called out, "MELODY!" and another blond, this one with a bowl cut and a research outfit on, ran past the two rangers who had restrained the Bibarrel and were now looking on at Teya's efforts. Teya scooted away to make room for the boy, who ran up and hugged Melody tightly._

_"Isaac…" Melody whispered, "It was so scary, I was flying and then I was in the water and I couldn't breathe… but she saved me…"_

_Isaac looked up to stare at Teya, who shrugged uncomfortably, murmuring, "She needed help… the Rangers wouldn't have been able to restrain the Bibarrel and dive for her fast enough… someone had to act…" Isaac smiled slightly before getting a good look at the haunted blue eyes._

_"Wait a second… Kate?" Isaac asked quietly. Teya looked around in confusion, before looking back at Isaac, "Umm, are you talking to me? My name's Teya, not Kate." She shrugged slightly, looking back down at Melody and grasping the chance to change the subject, "Is she alright?"_

_Isaac, reluctantly, returned his gaze to his sister, who was lying shaking in his arms, scared but very much so alive. "She'll be fine." He muttered, before standing up and supporting his sister before walking away, calling back, "Thank you… Teya."_

_Teya left the pier after that, trying to field the many questions from the Rangers who, thankfully, had not heard Isaac suspecting she was Kate._

_She sighed, '_Maybe hiding out in Pueltown was a bad idea._'_

That encounter had been one of the few she had with Isaac, _those_ she generally avoided, but she had run into Melody more often than once. She had gotten glasses since her run in with Isaac, and they proved efficient in hiding what she needed to hide. The little blond had grown over the last year as well, and was now really quite determined to go to Ranger School. Teya urged her on as they continued speaking about their days. She had spent most of the morning playing around with her Pokemon after her morning walk, inviting some of the other kids in Pueltown to mess around with them.

Chimchar in particular was having quite a bit of fun, as it was chasing a ball that the other kids were tossing around. Munchlax stood chewing on a PokeBlock that she had tossed to it. Starly and Kricketot were messing around with a few of the girls in the town, Machop was wrestling in the grass with one of the boys while the others cheered the boy on, and Cranidos stood dutifully by her side while Pachirisu chattered happily on her shoulder.

Melody looked around happily at all the kids playing with the Pokemon before returning her gaze to Teya. "It's a lot more fun here since you came." She smiled, "How did you get all these Pokemon?"

"A lot of time and patience." Teya answered evasively, smiling faintly. She picked up one of the newspapers and looked over the headlines, seeing more familiar faces and more of the same information she had been seeing over the past year. Keith was doing well, it seemed, taking on harder and harder opponents, but she noticed that whenever the pictures were of his face, he wasn't smiling.

Ever.

She wondered what had made him so harsh, sometimes, then pushed the thoughts away as small tears would well up in her eyes. She never knew why she started crying when she thought of him, but she did. It was disconcerting.

What possibly could make her regret making the decision to leave? Keith's disappointment, she realized, was plenty of reason.

'_No._' she thought sharply, '_I'm not Kate anymore. I'm Teya now. Nothing is going to make me forget that. Not now, not ever. Kate is gone._' She sighed, '_Kate never existed._'

---

Keith hopped off the Staraptor nearby the commotion and looked around, catching sight of all the kids in Pueltown tousling with Pokemon that were… all too familiar. He saw Melody talking to a teenaged girl with a Pachirisu on her shoulder and smiled, walking over to the one familiar face.

"Hey, Melody." He called, making the blond girl turn around, and he caught her in a headlock before rubbing her hair, "How you been since I last came here?"

"You must be Keith." The girl Melody had been speaking to spoke up, garnering his attention. Melody pushed his arm from her neck and backed away from him, behind the girl. "I'm Teya," she said, smiling very slightly. A sad twinkle was visible in her eyes.

"How do you know me?" Keith asked, a small frown on his face.

"Kind of hard not to." Teya held up the newspaper she had in her hand, on which was a picture of him. Her small, sad smile interested him in a way he didn't understand. He looked toward Melody, who grinned slightly, as if to say, "can't get me now!"

Keith chuckled slightly, darkly, "The newspaper always makes everything out to be more dramatic than it actually is. I'm not the best Ranger the Union's got, never have been and never will be. That position will always belong to one person…" he trailed off, "…and that person isn't me."

Teya raised one eyebrow slightly before looking around at all the other people tousling with her Pokemon. "So you're stationed here?" she asked offhandedly, narrowing her eyes slightly at Starly and Kricketot. "Star, Tot, leave those girls alone!" she called, making the two Pokemon chatter and coo in their form of laughter.

Keith looked around at all the Pokemon, "A lot of Pokemon you have here." He muttered, "Some of them all too familiar."

The Cranidos besides Teya crooned slightly, standing loyally by her side as it stared at Keith. The black eyes held a spark of recognition. '_She must show it the newspapers_.' Keith thought, grinning falsely at the Cranidos before returning his attention to Teya. Both had the same thought.

'_Maybe, just maybe… this won't be so bad after all._'

* * *

**A/N: Haha! Here's Chapter one, Longer as promised. Lot of Dramatic Irony here, because we know something Keith doesn't know! Remember that while we are knowledgeable to both sides of the story, they only know what happens to them. It leads to quite a few "Whyareyoubeingsostupid?!" situations later on.**

**Keith: -glares at me- **

**Kate: -glares at me as well-**

**Me: -grins widely- I'ma have some fun on this story.  
**


	3. Chapter Two: Kate!

_POKEMON RANGER, OUT OF THE DARKNESS_ - Chapter Two: Kate!

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The morning walk was quiet, and for once she hadn't woken up screaming, plagued though her sleep was by nightmares and horrors that seemed to be getting worse as time wore on. She liked the quiet of the morning just after the sun rose, where she could only hear the padding of her feet and her Partner's feet. She looked around the sleeping town, smiling her sad smile as she walked down to the pier. She passed some early morning fishermen who waved to her, smiling brightly and calling out, "Morning, Teya!"

"Morning." She called back with a false cheeriness. The cool air was the only thing that made her feel really comfortable… as long as she was alone, she could even feel herself starting to feel at home. She remembered the many days out in Fiore region, sitting on the roof of the house and just enjoying the wind. She walked toward a more deserted pier and sighed, sitting down for hours on end until she heard pained chatter behind her. She looked around and the setting sun blinded her for a minute.

"Raticate…" she whispered catching sight of the Raticate behind her, "You're bleeding!" she gasped when she saw the cut on its hind leg. She reached toward it, only to be scratched away. "Look, I'm trying to help you! Just let me take a look…"

A Styler Capture Disk came out of nowhere and Keith walked up, directing it until the Raticate calmed down. He picked it up and held it so she could check the gash. Teya smiled slightly at him, ignoring the wrenching feeling in her stomach, and gently pressed against the leg next to the wound before gently pulling at it so she could look inside to make sure it wasn't infected.

The squeamish look on Keith's face made her snicker as she gently wiped the blood from the fur while he held the Raticate. "We've been getting more Pokemon with these gashes around here. I generally check them out at my house so none of the kids get sick of the blood…" She rested one of her hands gently on the Raticate's chest to check its pulse and breathing, before again returning her attention to the slashed leg. She felt Keith's hand shift until their pinkies touched.

A shock transferred from their pinkies and she shivered slightly, closing her eyes. Keith looked at her for a second before looking down at her hand. "Teya, er, do I know you from somewhere else?"

"I don't know…" she whispered, moving her hand away and stepping back. "Maybe the Union should check this gash. It looks like it's on the road to infection. Plus there looks like there's something…" she trailed off, pressing her hands together, "…silver in there. Like a…" she moved back toward the Raticate, her eyes confused now. Her glasses shifted down her nose and Keith felt a shiver run down his back. Her eyes were so familiar…

She pressed against the skin of the Raticate, making it whimper, but Keith saw it as well, the small silvery square.

"…Microchip. It's… attached to the nerves, so if it moves at all it sends pain jolting up the leg." Teya blinked, "Looks pretty high tech… a good way to control Pokemon… cause pain until they do what you want them to."

She started walking back to the main part of town, "Come on, we'd better get him to my place until you can call the Union to get someone to come out here."

---

Walking through the main town with Keith kept sending small shivers through her body, even though they weren't touching anymore. She paused when she saw many of the adults gathered around her home.

One of them sighted her and Keith and yelled, "There she is! Teya, you're the one responsible for our Pokemon's pain!"

"What–?" she started, before others had grabbed her arms, all shouting at her.

"The gashes have been getting worse since you came here!"

"What are you doing to them?!"

"You take them into your house and they end up worse!"

Keith stared at her for a few moments, confusion in his eyes even as the people started tying a rope around her.

"Throw her in jail! Put her where she can't hurt our Pokemon!" They started dragging her towards the main square until one of them spoke up.

"I know what we should do!" the dark haired guy said, pulling a pair of dark sunglasses down off his nose, "Leave her to me, I'll take her to the ultimate punishment!"

Teya bit the hands that were trying to tie a gag around her mouth. "I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!" she shrieked, squirming as the ropes around her tightened, snapping her arms to her sides. The Styler on her forearm dug into her skin, and she yelled out in pain.

"Let me go!" she cried, "It's not me!" Someone managed to get the gag on her mouth and she suddenly was unable to talk. The man started dragging her by the ropes toward the northern part of town, and Northern Bridge.

'_NO!_' she thought desperately, '_Not Altru, not Darkrai, NO!_'

She shook her head frantically, harshly, until she felt the glasses slide off her nose. Her ponytail caught on the ropes and was pulled out. She turned frantic wide eyes to Keith, her hair falling into them.

Something flashed in Keith's eyes that she thought she'd never see again.

Recognition.

He started running toward her, but the other townspeople held him back. He yelled at them, unintelligible words that she couldn't hear as she was dragged further and further away. They were at the bridge now… now the southern edge of Altru Park… she heard Keith's anguished yell of "NO!" even from there…

Now they were walking into Altru. She looked around at the researchers who looked at her with fear, as if afraid to do anything. She pleaded to them with her eyes, '_help me!_' but still, they did nothing. She had tears in them now, as she was pushed into the elevator. '_Not Darkrai, not again… please…_'

"You seem scared." The man smirked as soon as the Elevator doors closed. "Why should you be afraid of Darkrai… unless you had already faced it. Isn't that right… Kate? He's gotten stronger since your last encounter, and tied up like this? You stand no chance. I'm sure you've noticed the nightmares he's been sending to you. They've been getting worse, haven't they?"

Her eyes widened as he pushed her out onto the top of the building and the elevator doors closed again. The wind was blowing her hair around wildly, and she looked around in fear until she saw him. Darkrai.

'_Shit, shit shit shit._' She thought, as it floated toward her, raised its arms…

"KAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTTTEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!" the anguished yell came as she was being eaten by the darkness, and the scene flashed before her again.

_The darkness, the fear, the yell, the cold…_ She jammed her eyes shut as tears exploded out of them, '_Someone help me, please…_'

Something caught hold of the ropes and jerked her from the darkness, pulling her upward and away from the building. She was still crying, her eyes still jammed closed, and someone pressed her face against their shoulder as she felt the ropes fall away. "Kate…" a quiet, anguished voice murmured in her ear as she pressed her face into the soft fabric that covered the shoulder. The fabric quickly became soaked as she sobbed.

"Kate…" the voice said again, "…it's alright… I'm here." She felt strong arms wrapping around her in a tight hug as she was shifted until she was sitting on the top of the Staraptor that held her and Keith.

"Keith…" she whispered, "I can't… no more… nightmares… please…" her head was shifted until she had her chin on the soaked shoulder and she was looking back at Altru, which was quickly shrinking in the distance. Keith muttered something that she didn't catch, something to the extent of "Those bastards…when we get back to the Union…"

"I can't go back." She muttered, "No. I can't go back to the Union."

"Why not?!" Keith asked, his voice louder than he meant it to be, which he realized when she flinched and looked as though preparing for a slap. She buried her face in his shoulder again and said her reason, which was muffled by the soft fabric.

"What?" he asked, more gently, moving his hand to direct her face toward his.

"Nightmares… I can't go back until I've gotten rid of them."

"Well… okay then," he muttered, flying the Staraptor down to land in a clearing in the woods. "It's getting late anyway… maybe we should camp here for a while."

"Darkrai…" Kate muttered, "He's causing them…" she curled into a fetal position, "H-He's causing the n-n-nightmares…"

Keith hopped off the Staraptor and picked her up gently, placing her under a tree. "He can't get to you here, Kate."

"B-But he can!" she sobbed, "He can always get to me, he's in my mind!" She turned away from Keith, "There's no way to get rid of him…"

Keith sighed, pulling off his jacket and placing it over her as he captured a couple of Caterpie to make string shot blankets for them. A Kakuna looked at him and then to her, as if saying, "Well, figure something to tell her!"

Keith looked away, thinking for a moment, "We'll need to sleep to be able to function in any way. For the night, we'll stay here."

Kate shivered as he tossed one of the blankets over her, and she tugged it closer to her, tears shining on her face. Keith tore his gaze away from her reluctantly, striding a bit away before lying down and closing his eyes, listening as Kate's breathing slowed to an even cadence before falling asleep himself.

---

_The darkness around her was stifling, choking and she squirmed, staring around and holding her throat as a scream struggled to escape. She saw Darkrai, almost blending in to the darkness, and her eyes widened as she recognized the limp form he held in his dark hand._

_'_Little Sis!_' she gasped, the darkness surrounding her more completely as her sister looked up helplessly, her eyes weak, and then something black slammed through her chest, a point… a dark dagger._

_ Darkrai dropped the form and it floated near her, blood spurting out of the wound and trickling down from the mouth. Kate watched in horror as the darkness ate away the rest of the body… '_No… Little Sis… No…_'_

"NOOOO!" she yelled, struggling with the darkness around her and screaming, "NO!"

Someone placed a hand on her shoulder and she jolted it away, until she heard the frantic voice shouting her name, "Kate, Kate! WAKE UP!"

She wrenched her eyes open in frenzy and jerked upward, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Kate!" Keith yelled again, pulling her around to look at him. Her eyes were wide and unseeing and her breathing had hitched. He felt her shaking under his firm touch.

"Kate…" he muttered as she sobbed and buried her face in his shoulder again. "What happened?"

"Little… Little Sis…" she whispered.

Keith, understanding, pressed a few buttons on his Styler, "Voicemail, Voicemail! Sven, Wendy, can you check to see if Kate's Little Sis is okay?"

"_Sure, but why do you need to know?_" Sven's tired voice came over; confusion lacing each word.

"It's a long story. Just check, okay?" Keith muttered. Kate shuddered and wrapped her arms around him, and he felt his face heat up. He was thankful she still had her face buried in his shoulder.

After a few minutes in which he supposed Sven had contacted Barlow and Barlow had checked, Sven reported back, "_Kate's little sister is fine, Keith. Now care to tell us why you needed to know? And why you're no longer in Pueltown?_"

Keith looked down at Kate, who pulled her sleeve up and said loud enough for Sven to hear, "Maybe this will explain things."

She pressed a button on her Styler and Sven yelled out, "_KATE!?_"

Kate smiled a slight, but still genuine, Kate smile, "Good to hear you too, Sven."

Keith laughed slightly, happy to see one of Kate's genuine smiles again. He had feared that she would never be the same. It looked like things were already going on to the good track.

* * *

**A/N: Wow! I must say I'm happy now! Seven reviews in Two chapters? That's really great! So, to let you all know how much I appreciate the reviews, PERSONAL BUT PUBLIC REPLIES! Lawl. I'll do this every three chapters, so beware!  
**

**_BlazieAura_ - Kate and Keith are so damn cute, aren't they?! I just love the obviousness of Keith's flirting when you play as Kate in the game. It's so cute! **

**_FaithfulSoul_ - (for reviewing both chapters, you get a cookie!) Kate/Kellyn. Damn. But, but, but, but Kate and Keith are SO MUCH BETTER! -pouts- Anyway, it's OBVIOUS how much they love each other. =P**

**_Ketchum Kid_ - Wow. Long review that didn't really seem to relate much to my story. Oh well, at least you took the time to read and type it all out. Thanks for the originality comment.**

**_StrawBerriKitty_ - I had just finished everything in the game (browser, storyline, capture arena, and THE ULTIMATE STUPIDITY OF CUT SCENES!) so I was going on the freshness of the knowledge... plus I kind of cheated and replayed some of the parts I really liked. =P But yeah, I was talking to some of my friends who also had played the game and we got into a discussion about the ending of the storyline, which led to the idea which led to the story. ^^;**

**_Fishy ApplePie_ - Please... It can't be the BEST... -modest- There are so many authors out there who can write better than me... I know it might just be the original plot that you're talking about. But, yeah. I really just got the idea from the discussion with my friends...**

_**Guest589785 - **_**Thank you for reading! And reviewing!**


	4. Chapter Three: Kanto Region

_POKEMON RANGER, OUT OF THE DARKNESS_ - Chapter Three: Kanto Region.

* * *

"So, what are we going to do?" Keith asked her quietly as she clicked a few buttons on her Styler, bringing up the Browser and then clicking a few more buttons. She didn't answer until her eyebrow furrowed, "We'll need the help of one of the more well known professors to find a Pokemon that can possibly stop Darkrai. The problem we face is that he's not in Almia."

"Where is he then?" Keith asked with a confused look on his face. They had traveled back to the Ranger Union (with much reluctance on Kate's part) and were now on the top of the building under the Tree of Harmony. Rhythmi had joined them along with Professor Hastings and Chairperson Erma, who had run forward to hug Kate (for Professor Hastings it was actually quite an awkward hug, but Erma's hug was more grandmotherly) and then had both taken in the problem and the importance to get it fixed. Kate looked up at Keith, her eyes showing sadness.

"As much as it pains me to say, someone will need to contact Professor Oak in Kanto. Kanto is known for having some of the most legendary Pokemon in the world, so one of them has to be able to take down Darkrai." She rested her chin in her hand and sighed, "Then someone will have to go catch the Pokemon. I'll be the one to do that, since it's my mind that Darkrai's messing with."

"There's no way you're going alone." Rhythmi said sharply, "You've been gone for a year, Kate. Keith and I didn't know what you were doing or if you were even alive. We don't want you on your own anymore." She clasped her hands around Kate's free one, and her brown eyes bore into Kate's blue ones.

Kate sighed again, looking away, "I don't know who you can spare, something is happening in Almia, Rhythmi. Something bad. You all managed for a year without me, you can manage for a little more. I promise I won't turn off my tracker or Voicemail and I'll report in regularly?"

"No." Keith said suddenly, "You're NOT going alone. I'll go with you if it makes everyone happy. I'm not the best Ranger here, Sven and Wendy could handle anything that pops up, and we also have Marie and John out in Haruba, they could be called in. Or even Barlow, Crawford and Luana. Elaine might even be able to help. The fact I'm making is… Kate and I do NOT make up the entire Union. There are ten other Top Rangers besides us, multiple Area Rangers, hell, even some of the students at the Ranger School could help." He looked around at the others who were staring at him now. "And Kate can not go alone, not from what I've seen."

"What are you talking about, Keith?!" Kate asked in confusion, "I can take care of myself!"

"You were breaking down this morning." Keith said quietly, a gentle but firm tone, "You thought your nightmare was reality and that nearly drove you to hysterics. If they keep getting worse, you'd drive yourself to a heart attack. I don't want that."

His sincere tone made her blink slightly and her heart skipped a beat. She sighed again, realizing he was right, "Alright. If everyone agrees, then Keith and I will go to Kanto to meet Professor Oak _and_ find _and_ capture whatever Pokemon we need."

Keith looked around at the others, as if daring them to object. Rhythmi looked at Kate's dejected acceptance first, then at Keith's determined stare and sighed, stepping forward and hugging both with one arm each lightly, "You report in regularly, you two." She whispered between their heads. "I'll have your heads if you don't." She released them reluctantly and wiped her eyes.

"Do be careful, dears." Erma said sternly, "We couldn't afford to lose both of you, not if Team Dim Sun was any indication. I expect you both back here in top shape, got it?"

"Yes Ma'am." Keith nodded slightly, and Kate closed her eyes and smiled, "Wouldn't expect less."

Hastings nodded curtly to them before saying; "It'd best assist you to know that Professor Oak resides in Pallet Town, which is about three miles over the border to the south. You two have grown strong through your escapades, and I'm certain you can reach there before the week is out." He frowned, "Be on the lookout for hostile Pokemon and Trainers."

Kate looked around at the three who were wishing her off in the best of wishes. She smiled again and wiped her eyes, "Thank you, all of you." Then she turned her gaze on Keith, who was watching her intently, "We should go as soon as possible."

He nodded before looking at the others as well, "We'll be off in an hour. We'll be preparing for our trip during that time, so perhaps it's best if we weren't disturbed."

The others nodded, and Rhythmi sighed softly, "You two have grown so much, you as sixteen year olds are so much more different than the thirteen year olds I came to love…" She ran forward to catch them in a hug again, and sobbed slightly.

"Be careful." She finally said, letting go again.

Keith and Kate shared a look with each other and nodded before both standing up and striding downstairs, leaving three very morose people behind them.

---

The wind blew her hair back as she soared on the Staraptor, a bit away from Keith, and she looked out over the land far below them, forestry blending into woods, which were crossed with paths and trails. She traced one path with her eyes for a few moments, until it became almost impossible to follow as the trees opened up into a field and the faded dirt blended back into grass.

"Kate!" Keith grinned, calling over to her, "I think we're in Kanto now! Look down at the different Pokemon roaming the fields!" Her eyes moved downward again, and she smiled, catching sight of all sorts of ground, grass, and flying types in the field. She saw a nest of Fearow and grinned, "Looks like the many 'Staraptor' here are the Fearow." She commented, "There are enough of them."

"Yeah!" he laughed, "So, how far is Pallet town from here?"

"Well, I'd say that little town down there fits the bill, we've been flying long enough to have gone three miles over the border." Kate muttered the last bit, eying the setting sun. "Even if it isn't we should land and find a place to stay."

"Right." Keith nodded, directing his Staraptor to fly down toward the small town. Kate banked above and patted her Staraptor, muttering a thank you before jumping off at a height of about twenty feet. The Staraptor flew off, flying out of sight back toward Almia.

"Well." Kate inhaled, "Kanto, here we are."

---

They took refuge in a Pokemon Center, and the Nurse Joy there was interested in hearing some of their Ranger stories, which got the attention of a few parents and kids who were in the shelter, and it led to a major retelling from Keith of their exploits with Sven in the Chroma Ruins, their adventures together in the Ranger Union, even going as far back as the challenge in Ranger School. Kate let Keith take the stage, instead sitting back and watching him as he retold the stories that were so familiar to her, and at the same time so strange.

Hours that were spent laughing were retold, and she only remembered minutes, if not seconds, of that laughter. Their pledge in front of the pledge stone, she only remembered the pang of sadness when Keith and Rhythmi ended up going to Fiore. Keith thankfully stayed away from stories of Operation Brighton, instead focusing on stories that wouldn't upset her. She smiled slightly when he started telling everyone about their first ever mission.

"Well, we had to deliver this very special box, and we had to be VERY careful not to tip it at all. When we finally got it to the team, it turned out to just be the lunch! Then, a commotion on the beach made everyone desert that delicious lunch…"

She chuckled at his voice, as he held the suspension in the story and at the same time was acting like it was a joke. She spoke up, "Turned out that a few Pokemon were causing a ruckus, we quickly took care of them."

"You got your Pachirisu." Keith smirked and she raised a hand to pat the Pachirisu on her shoulder, who chattered in glee at getting all the attention in the room. The kids gasped in awe and started chattering as well, asking if they could pet the Pachirisu.

"Pachi?" Kate looked at the Pachirisu on her shoulder, which jumped into one of the little girls' lap. The girl squealed before happily beginning to rub her partner behind its ears.

Keith fabricated up an excuse to get away from the avid listeners and Kate rescued her partner, who now looked overwhelmed by the attention. She held out her arm to it and it clambered up onto her shoulder again, hiding behind her head until she made it to the room where she and Keith were sleeping.

"We survived." Keith said with a chuckle, as he tugged the sheets of one of the beds in the room away from the pillow. Kate smiled as she scooted under her own blankets, and turned on her side to stare at the wall.

Keith looked at her for a few seconds before shaking his head and also climbing under his sheets, his face red. "Night." He said quietly, clicking off the lights in the room.

"Night." She replied, her eyes already closed.

---

_She saw her little sister again, still bleeding horribly from the hole in her chest, staring at her in agony._

_"Big Sister, why couldn't you save me?" Little Sis asked quietly, "Why did you let him do this to me?" she reached out a bloody hand, "Why couldn't you fight the darkness that is growing in your heart?"_

_'_Fight… the darkness…_' Kate wrestled with the black ropes holding her back, bit at the dark gag that prevented her from speaking, and reached out a restrained hand to try and touch her sister's pale face…_

She sat up silently, her eyes wide, her breathing sharp. Looking around the shadowed room in silence, she willed her heart to slow down from its frantic rate; she didn't want Keith worrying again…

'_No. Best not to worry him with this… I can deal with it._' She shook her head slowly, before looking at him. He had turned over in his sleep and was facing her direction. She blinked when she saw his relaxed face; '_He looks so different when he's asleep._' She exhaled slowly, looking away.

"I'm sorry… for leaving," she whispered, looking at her hands, "I… hope you can forgive me."

He shifted and she closed her eyes, sighing softly, and she only opened her eyes when she heard the quiet response, "I already did."

Looking over at him again, blue eyes met brown and a tingle shot down her back. He exhaled, not breaking his gaze, "Did you have a nightmare?"

"Yeah… same as last night." She looked down; "Only this time Little Sis talked to me… asked me how I could let it happen…" she wiped her eyes gently, looking up again, "I didn't want to worry you with this…"

"Kate." Keith said sharply, "I'm here to help you through this, okay? Anything you need to tell me, I'll listen."

"I know," she whispered, "But these scare me so much…"

He swung his legs out from under the blankets and crossed the room, pulling her into a hug and breathing out, "Kate, I'm here. Talk to me…"

"I…" she started, closing her eyes. "Keith, I…"

"_Voicemail, Voicemail!_" the alarm came suddenly from both of their Stylers, "_Kate, Keith: Rhythmi here! I expect a report._"

'_Damn._' Kate thought, '_A report. What do we tell her?_'

"This is Keith; we've arrived in Kanto unharmed, Rhyth. Bunked down in a Pokemon Center last night, going to see Professor Oak today after getting directions to Pallet town."

"_Kate, your report?_"

"Not much else to say, Rhythmi. We're still intact, we haven't faced any enemies yet."

"_Aright then_." Rhythmi said, the smile in her voice easy to hear, "_Rhythmi out._"

Kate looked at Keith for a second before sighing, "Well, we'd better get directions to Pallet town so we can find Professor Oak, and so we don't have to deal with Rhythmi later." She climbed out of bed and pulled her hair into a ponytail without thinking.

"Oh, no you don't." Keith said, grabbing her wrist and tugging the ponytail out gently. He guided her hair back into its old pigtails. "You lived in these pigtails before you disappeared, I want you to live in them again."

Kate chuckled, "That's rather oddly stated, Keith." She looked over at him and snickered at the red tint in his cheeks.

"Let's just go!" he said embarrassedly, rubbing the back of his head.

"Whatever you say, Keith, whatever you say."

* * *

**A/N: Ketchum Kid, I think it was, you were commenting on her fooling Isaac with a pair of glasses... er, I was trying to make it seem like Isaac had obviously known from the beginning... the pause before he says "Teya"? that usually means that someone is just saying that even though they know otherwise.**

**Also, StrawBerriKitty, you said it was slightly depressing why she was hugging Keith... This is by no means a very happy story. She's dealing with the nightmares that are scaring her beyond reason while she's struggling to find a way to stop them... Keith's trying to help her through it, and she's in all means thankful for that, but her fear and sadness (the darkness) is dominating her feelings right now. Expect more depressing-ness.  
**

**Just a few things I needed to address to prevent TOO much confusion. Also: I could probably have had this chapter in yesterday, but I found this really cute Kate/Keith line art that I just had to color in. Blame the line art, people! It's not my fault!  
**


	5. Chapter Four: Mew

_POKEMON RANGER, OUT OF THE DARKNESS_ - Chapter Four: Mew.

* * *

"Hello?" she called out, knocking on the door again, "Professor Oak, if you're here, the Ranger Union called and warned you we were on our way?" She glanced back at Keith, "They… did call him, right?" She raised an eyebrow questioningly at him as he started laughing.

The door opened and a gray haired, middle-aged man appeared with an Oddish clinging to his head. Kate took one look at the Oddish and the distressed look on the man's face before giggling. "Are you… having some problems with that Oddish?" she choked out between giggles, "Or does it just like you that much?"

"Oh, ha, ha, ha." The man said, shaking his head, "You two must be the Rangers that needed to come see me from Almia region."

"So they DID call you." Kate said, in all seriousness, glancing back at Keith who burst out laughing again. "Ignore him." She muttered, shaking her head, "It's a little joke we just came up with. I'm Kate, he's Keith." She looked at the Oddish again and smiled, "If you're not too busy…"

"Oh, yes, yes, come in, of course." Professor Oak stepped to the side and opened the doorway, Kate looked through it into the cluttered lab, and smiled, "Haha, looks like the Research room back at headquarters… or Little Sis's bedroom…" Her face fell into a distressed frown as she mentioned her Little Sister, and Keith instantly sobered up, seeing the sadness in her eyes, which quickly disappeared when she noticed his attention. Her face went blank.

"We already discussed this, Kate." He said quietly, slipping into stride with her as Oak led them out into the research field. He glanced at her closed off expression before sighing, "She's fine. Darkrai is trying to intimidate you, okay?" He rested a light hand on her shoulder and her eye twitched ever so slightly, an almost pained twitch. He lifted his hand away as she turned.

"I know… but it still hurts." She raised a hand to her chest, over her heart, and her eyes closed. "I keep trying to tell myself it's not real, but my dreams… they _are_ real when I'm asleep. All common reason disappears." She shook her head, and sighed.

"That's when I come and wake you up." Keith said flatly, grabbing her wrist as she started to walk away. "You can't just push me away, Kate!"

"I can when you're getting a little too close for comfort!" she snapped back, wrenching her wrist free and glaring half-heartedly at him, tears filling her eyes.

"Is there a problem?" the Professor called back, having taken notice of the angered stances that the two Rangers now sported. Keith's eyes held a look of betrayal and anger, while Kate's eyes were despondent and fierce. She huffed and turned, walking after Professor Oak and leaving Keith with a confused look on his face behind.

"Kate!" he called, his expression hurt, "Kate come on!"

"Leave me alone." She said quietly, just loud enough for him to hear. He sighed, walking after her soberly, an unsure tilt to his walk. As he followed the now silent Professor Oak and Kate, he delved into his thoughts.

Kate was so different, he noticed with a pang of sadness. Her loud voice and cheeky grin were seldom seen or heard, and her friendly demeanor was nearly gone completely. He remembered all too well when she had gotten angry before Operation Brighton, back in Ranger School, and shuddered. His eardrums (and the eardrums of their classmates) had never quite been the same.

Now… he looked at her posture. '_Definitely pissed._' He flinched. And yet her voice hadn't risen beyond standard… well, Kate standard, anyway. Had he really angered her that much? He looked around at the Pokemon, shaking his head of the thoughts and latching on to anything he could focus on.

Kate was explaining everything to Professor Oak, from the battle with Darkrai to the nightmares to the need to get rid of them. He sighed, realizing she was cooling herself down. His friend from ranger school was pretty much gone, but… deep down, he knew that the old Kate was hiding in the darkness. Maybe, with a lot of patience, he could help her fight that darkness, and reclaim her happiness…

Professor Oak looked back at him, saying loud enough, "No one has done it before… not alone… but the Pokemon I would suggest is a Mew."

'_Mew…_' Keith nodded, '_If you can help me to help Kate, then I'll go to the ends of the earth to find you._'

---

"So, this is it."

Keith looked at the guide as though he were crazy, at the darkening sky as if it were at fault, and then at the offending place they were at, "A cave."

"Not just a cave…" the guide boy said sharply, "This 'cave' is Memory Cavern, the most mysterious cave in these parts! They say that a pokemon so powerful that it delves into your mind, pulls out memories and thoughts, and projects them in the cave walls is at the back of this cave!"

"Yeah, okay, we get it, Mew is at the back of the cave, he can read minds, and the memories are played like movies." Keith rolled his eyes; "So? We're going in." he moved to walk past the tour guide, who stepped in front of him.

"No, no one is allowed to enter Memory Cavern, to preserve the purity of the place!" the guide snapped at him, blocking the entrance.

"Well, sorry to say, freckle face, but no person, place, or pokemon is completely pure, except for maybe a couple of legendaries. If a pokemon got into the cave the purity would be wrecked anyway." Kate was advancing on the boy, and he stepped backwards slightly, "Not to mention, some people aren't as… clean, as others." The boy was looking nervous now, "Some of us actually… what's the word I'm looking for…" he was nearly in the cave. "Oh, that's right...!" she smirked and threw her voice out loud enough to scare the guide, "BATHE!" the poor boy was thrown into the cave, and he screamed in shock.

"HOW DARE YOU?!" he yelled at them, "YOU'VE DESTROYED THE BALANCE!"

"Actually, I believe that since _you're_ the one in the cave, that was you." Keith snickered, "Now, since there's no more _purity_ to preserve, we'll be going in."

He and Kate strode past the bewildered boy and into the moist cave, their momentary partnership abolished as Kate strode further in than he. Keith sighed, looking at the walls and wondering for a moment if that 'Legend' was true. '_Does Mew really stay in this cave? Does it have the power to project memories?_' he looked at the walls more closely and his eyes widened as he saw hidden in the shadows of the dark rocks his own childhood memories, becoming clearer as the moments passed and he and Kate ventured further into the cave.

"Kate, you…"

"Not now, Keith." She said softly, also looking at the walls. Keith looked at the rocks as she came to a stop, "Maybe we should spend the night here in the cave, then face Mew in the morning."

"Well… if you think so," he muttered, rubbing the back of his head anxiously. He watched as she took a corner of the room for herself, and then settled down a bit away from her before looking at the rocks and breathing out. He listened for a while to her breathing to make sure she was fully asleep before whispering, "I'm sorry for loving you, okay?" and turning away from her.

---

Early the next morning he was awakened by Kate's breathing hitching. He looked over at her and saw her face contorted with pain, her hands clutching at the air in front of her face. Without thinking, he crawled over to her, shaking her but with no success. He looked at the rocks, remembering the night before when he had seen his memories…

"Put me in her shoes, Mew! Show me what she's seeing!" he muttered furiously, touching her forehead and dabbing away the perspiration while touching one of the rocks. His eyes blanked as he felt something in his mind click into place, and the hand that was touching her forehead tingled. He closed his eyes and breathed out, focusing on his hand resting gently on Kate's temple.

Shadowy images formed on the back of his eyelids, and he focused on them; the shadows revealed what was undoubtedly going on in her latest nightmare. A frown appeared on his face as he shifted his hand to grip hers tightly.

_Kate's Little Sister was being sucked into the darkness, crying out for help and wishing for someone, anyone, to help her, as she disappeared and the darkness retreated, leaving no trace that she was even there…_

'_Kate…_' he cried in his mind, '_Wake up!_'

Her eyes burst open and tears formed, and she whispered, "No."

He pulled her into a hug as she cried, and he heard her whisper, "Even after I told you to leave me alone…" her sentence was broken by a sob, "…you still…." He nodded into her shoulder, understanding.

"That's what friends do." He muttered back quietly, biting his lip as he felt her sigh into the hug, "You…" he started, trying to work up the courage to say what he had wanted to say so badly for the past year.

"_KATE! We have an issue that concerns you…_" Rhythmi's hysterical voice called out, crushing the moment into a million pieces and making Keith sit up straighter.

'_Damnit._'

"What is it?" Kate asked quietly, a flicker of fear in her eyes.

"_Er, your little sister… she's disappeared Kate._"

There was silence between the two, and Kate looked as though her worst fears had materialized. Keith sighed softly, placing a hand over hers and trying to look at her eyes, but she looked away and tugged her hand from his grasp.

"We'd better find Mew to get this over with as soon as possible." She whispered brokenly, "As soon as this is over, everything will return to normal."

Keith looked at the stark black stones that shone with a polished gleam and he saw himself, tied up and watching as Kate had given up the yellow gem, one of the last chances Almia had, to save him. No matter how hands had played out that day, when they executed Operation Brighton together, she had taken the risk of a lifetime… just to ensure that he was safe.

'_Why, Kate? Why do you make me feel so confused and yet so happy when I see your pained smile now? Why am I so scared when you have a nightmare? Why do you make me act this way? Why does everything I try to do upset you?_'

---

'_Why do you care so much about me?_' very similar and yet very different thoughts as those of Keith were voicing themselves in Kate's head as she looked over at her downcast friend. '_Why are you so protective? Why do you want me to be happy so badly? Why do I get shocks running down my back when you hug me? Why do I feel my hands start tingling when you hold onto them? Why, Keith?_'

She sighed and stood, glancing once more at Keith as he too stood before striding further into the cave, her thoughts whirling.

---

The black rock faded almost fluidly into diamonds, which glittered in the faint sunlight falling from the small hole in the ceiling. There was a single staircase in the wall of jewels, rising up to the opening. Kate looked up at it; her gaze determined again, the scary, fierce determination that had helped her defeat Darkrai before. He shuddered at the dark glint in her eyes.

"Well." She muttered, "This is it. We face off with Mew, catch it, and go back to Almia region."

"Right," Keith replied haltingly, pushing away the flipping feeling of his stomach and the disturbed thoughts from his head. He watched as Kate strode up the diamond stairs, her face melting into a calm countenance. He followed behind her with a nervous feeling in the bottom of his mind.

Something was going to go wrong with their plan, he was sure.

---

"Kate… listen to me please… Just because Mew…"

"Just because Mew what?" Kate asked miserably, "wasn't the one we need, meaning we have to find a more powerful Pokemon to take its place? That could take who knows how long leaving Little Sis in the dark realm!"

"Kate." Keith sighed, having thought of something, "I remember reading somewhere that Cresselia's feathers can cure nightmares, why are we in Kanto when Cresselia is just a few kilometers away from the Ranger Union in Hippodon Temple?"

"You think I didn't try Cresselia?" Kate muttered morosely, "That was the first place I looked for a way to fight these things, a week before I left to hide away in Pueltown. I explained it to Professor Oak, Cresselia didn't help me even when I got a feather. The nightmares came back, and back again, and again!"

Keith remembered all too well the day she had disappeared for a few hours and come back anxious and unsatisfied. Whenever anyone had asked about it, she would just say she had been looking for something she couldn't find.

Kate curled into a ball and rested her forehead on her knees, small tears tracing down her cheeks as she closed her eyes tightly. She wrapped her hands over her head and whispered quietly, almost quiet enough that he didn't catch it if it weren't for his attention on her. "Why, why must it be me?"

Keith looked away, toward the sky, and debated what he wanted to tell her. He wanted her to know his feelings very badly, but every opportunity seemed to pass him by or…

_Voicemail, Voicemail! This is Rhythmi!_

…Rhythmi would call… Keith sighed, '_Why does she have to call at the most inappropriate times?_' he glanced at Kate, '_My few chances are always interrupted by her…_' As Kate glanced up, he blinked solemnly at her and the gaze remained unbroken. An unbidden thought strayed into his head; '_Why not just tell her now?_'

…No. Not yet, not when she was so upset. He knew that her calm moments were few and far between even now, and they would soon disappear entirely, but he just wasn't ready to tell her yet. He didn't want to risk rejection that much.

'_…her eyes are so beautiful…_' he thought mindlessly, looking at Kate's crystal blue eyes as he thought of what to tell her. Her shoulders were slumped; everything about her seemed droopy, even her pigtails were sagging in sadness.

"Kate," he started slowly, exhaling nervously, "I… want to tell you…"

A flash of light broke the moment, and Keith cursed, '_WHY?!_' before covering his eyes and squinting at the light.

It was Mew, floating before Kate with a tiny stone in its paw. It floated over to Kate and pushed the stone into her hand before placing its paw on her forehead, closing its eyes and starting to glow even brighter. Keith had to shield his eyes completely until the light faded and Mew was gone. When he finally was able to look, Kate was fast asleep with a calm expression on her face: A dreamless expression.

His painful thoughts of longing to tell her seemed to melt away as he stared at her face, the angelic face he wished he could touch gently with his fingers… he held himself back away from her to keep himself from waking her, and only for that reason.

"Sleep well, Kate." He whispered, "Eventually… you'll know." He paused, before reaching out a hand to gently move a strand of hair out of her eyes, "I promise."

Kate didn't wake up until the next morning, and for once, he was happy that she was out cold.

* * *

**A/N: TEH FLUFFINESS.**

**FEAR TEH FLUFFINESS.**

**IT WILL TAKE OVER YOUR MIND.**

**KATE AND KEITH ARE TEH CUTEST.  
**


	6. Chapter Five: Mewtwo

_POKEMON RANGER, OUT OF THE DARKNESS_ - Chapter Five: Mewtwo.

* * *

"Morning sleeping beauty." Keith said warmly when he saw Kate shifting into a sitting position, smiling. Kate looked over to him and got an odd look on her face, before stating, "I didn't have a nightmare." She thought a moment, "And my mind isn't plagued… with the image of Little Sis." Her tone was confused.

"You think the nightmares are gone?" Keith asked slowly, looking at her eyes for a few seconds as she shook her head slowly.

"Darkrai is still out there at the top of Altru Tower. As long as he's up there and under the control of whoever it is that has him sending these nightmares, I'm going to keep getting them. I think maybe Mew just… pushed away the one image… of Little Sis. Darkrai will send others." She muttered anxiously, looking around at the forestry around them, "Did you carry me here? We were outside that Memory Cavern when Mew made me sleep."

Keith laughed embarrassedly, "Yeah, er, everyone was coming to stare at you because they noticed the light that Mew gave off." He coughed, "Figured you'd rather wake up away from stares."

"Well, thanks." Kate said in surprise, her blue eyes shining brightly as she smiled one of her now-rare smiles. Her face settled into confusion again as her eyes flickered with remembrance about something. "I think… I know what Pokemon we go for next."

"How?" Keith asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Mew told me. Just before he made me go to sleep… he told me… 'Mewtwo'."

"Mewtwo? What kind of Pokemon is that, an evolution of Mew or something?"

"Mew doesn't evolve, you idiot!" Kate giggled.

"Well then what is Mewtwo?!" Keith asked, his eyes glinting in laughter as he continued his ploy to make her laugh. It seemed to be effective seeing as she was snickering at his antics, but he was sure she knew what he was trying to do. Her soft smile made the angelic face light up noticeably and he found himself smiling back. It was nothing like her old bright grin, but it was much better than the somber frown she had been wearing for far too long.

"Our next lead." She answered him softly, looking toward the mountains to the west. "I think… we should go that way. Somewhere in those Mountains, I think that's where Mewtwo is." She didn't mention the slight tug in her mind that led her to believe that the mountains were where they needed to go.

Keith frowned slightly, "Well, let's capture a couple of Fearow or Pidgeot then." His no-nonsense tone made her smirk slightly, before her face settled back in its all too familiar frown.

"Keith, do you… think that everyone in Almia is okay?" she muttered quietly.

"…I don't know… but they can handle themselves…" he placed a hand gently on her shoulder and sighed, "For now, we need to worry about what we face, not what they face." His tone was regretful, and his eyes held pain that she realized meant he wished he didn't have to say the things he was saying.

Kate sighed, "Yeah… I guess you're right."

For a moment, neither said anything until Kate reached her hand up to place it on his hand, which was still resting on her shoulder. She closed her eyes slowly before exhaling and saying, "Nothing we can do about it."

---

There was a small town in the mountains that the duo stopped at to recharge and refuel. Sadly, the Stylers would need to be rerouted completely to be able to give to someone to charge in Kanto, or else be altered significantly. Kate refused to change anything about her Styler unless she herself did it, and as such neither of them got their Stylers checked. Kate looked over some of the wiring of her Styler idly as they waited for food in a restaurant then pulled out a small, round, clear stone from her pocket.

"What's that?" Keith asked her, catching sight of the stone. He didn't realize that it was the stone that Mew gave her before putting her to sleep. His curiosity over the clear stone caused him to plant his palm into the butter dish next to the bread as he leaned over the table to get a better look.

"It's the stone Mew gave me." Kate muttered, turning the clear stone and rolling it in her palm idly as she looked it over, ignoring Keith as he wiped his palm embarrassedly with a napkin, "It's odd, though, because when I put this thing down…" she placed the stone on the table and he noticed her eyes darken noticeably, "…the nightmarish images come back, but when I pick it up…" she plucked the stone up again and her eyes brightened to their original color, "They just melt away."

"That's strange. Mew must have, I don't know, made the stone so it absorbs the nightmares or something." Keith offered, tossing the napkin effortlessly into the trashcan on the near wall and grinning embarrassedly at her. She smiled slightly, "I hope that's it."

They ate their meal in silence as Kate tinkered with her Styler and the small clear stone, and almost before either had completely eaten their meals, a young woman burst into the restaurant yelling for help. Kate and Keith looked up instinctively, as several Pokemon ran into the restaurant… several very familiar Pokemon.

"Buizel!" Keith gasped, noticing his partner among the menagerie of Pokemon. He also noticed other familiar Pokemon, "Kate, your Cranidos, Munchlax, and Starly!"

"Not only them, but Machop, Chimchar, and Turtwig too! Even Croagunk and Mime Jr.! And Kricketot!" Kate's eyes were shining with laughter, "Seems our partners got a little lonely without us." She moved forward to greet the menagerie of Pokemon, which surged forward at her like a wave. She caught herself before she fell and Pachirisu scurried out of her jacket to join the group that was smothering her.

She heard Keith grunt as his Buizel connected with his stomach, and he fell besides her laughing. Those around them in the restaurant were thoroughly confused, and some even moved forward to try and restrain some of the Pokemon that were seemingly 'attacking' the duo on the ground.

Kate was giggling madly as she hugged one partner after another, finally coming back to Cranidos and planting a kiss on the Pokemon's forehead. "You led them here didn't you, Cranidos?" her Cranidos was the primary leader of her partner pokemon when Pachirisu was gone. It seemed like something it would do.

Pachirisu chattered as it danced around the duo and the other ten pokemon, sparking at the cheeks and letting off static as it hopped around. Kate pushed the other Pokemon gently off of her and sat up, watching as Keith did the same with his Buizel. Their eyes locked for a moment before Kate looked away, her face oddly closed off.

Keith frowned, before looking around at the people staring at them and he realized why she had looked away, '_Best not to make a scene when so many are watching._'

He stood and helped her up, offering his hand as casually as the attention would garner him, and they marched out of the restaurant calmly, the many Pokemon in tow.

---

They spent almost a week scanning the mountains on Pidgeot, eating lunches up in the air and sleeping on the ground below, before Keith's sharp eyes caught sight of the cave in the base of one of the mountains. Kate had sent in a captured Crobat to scope out the cave, and the results made both of them grin. Mewtwo was residing in the cave.

But, both realized as they prepared to go into the cleft, the sky was darkening far too quickly to even think about entering the dark cave. Keith sighed and handed her one of the now slightly worn silk-shot blankets that they had been using for the past week, nodding slightly when she smiled. It had been just that long since she had had a nightmare, and both were content to sleep with the reassurance that a nightmare would… _probably_ not strike that night.

Of course, they both should have known that PROBABLY was not DEFINITELY.

---

_She shuddered as she looked around, the horrific fear that she had thought had left her was back in full force, no, even stronger after lying dormant for a week. The dark abyss surrounding her squeezed in, muffling her cries and suffocating her even as she tried to pull away from the almost starving black tendrils of smoke that surrounded her and poisoned her lungs. She reached out into the darkness, hoping to catch onto something – anything – anything that would let her pull away –_

_The smoke in front of her cleared as her arm was pulled back by the tendrils, and there, floating before her and almost blending into the blackness that restrained her, was Darkrai, holding in his clutches – _

_"NO!" she yelled, staring in shock at the two blonds floating in front of Darkrai, the pain shining in the crystal grayish blue eyes, the moans they let out as the darkness closed around their throats…_

_"No…" she whispered as they reached out their hands toward her helplessly, calling out, "Help us, Kate! Help us!"_

_"No…!" she sobbed, when the arms dropped back into the darkness and the heads dropped, and the two forms of Isaac and Melody disappeared into the blackness, dead, and they disappeared from her sight as the darkness closed around their limp forms._

_She tugged futilely at the binds holding her back, glaring with tears in her eyes at Darkrai as something in her heart broke. The two who were the closest to family to her from Pueltown… gone. Her little sister, gone. Who next? Would her parents…? _

_"…ateee…! Kaaaaaa…! Kaaaaaatttt…! Kaaaaaaateeeee…!"_

_She screamed as she heard the desperate calls coming at her from all angles, until she heard one that made her start._

_"Kate, please wake up…" the broken voice came from everywhere at once, drowning out every other voice even as she felt the sweat that had been piling up on her forehead being wiped away by some invisible force, some gentle hand, a gentle touch that she subconsciously leaned into, a comforting feeling washing through her body as she moaned in emotional pain. _

_"I'm here, Kate, please, wake up… please… please…" the voice whispered to her again and again, and she struggled against the darkness that held her immobile as Darkrai advanced. Fear once again clutched at her heart as she cried, silvery tears sliding down her cheeks and falling into the darkness…_

_A shock of pain came to her cheek before Darkrai got close, and the scene vanished…_ instead forming the sight of the dark night filled with stars. She brought a shocked hand to the stinging on her cheek and felt it was wet, and she closed her eyes as a shocking twinge of pain flickered from her tender touch. She looked around and caught sight of trees, several very worried looking Pokemon, and an even more worried teenaged boy sitting at her side.

"Sorry." Keith muttered sadly, "For your cheek."

"What… Did you…?" she rubbed the red spot on the right side of her face as she stared at him, and he nodded sadly.

"You wouldn't wake up. You scared me half to death, Kate, I didn't know what to do." He sighed, "I went on instinct and… well, slapped you."

Her stomach flipped as she watched his serious expression shift to something else, and something in her mind registered. '_He looks so tired… so old. He must have been really worried._' She put a little bit of pressure on her cheek as she felt more tears pouring down over her fingers, mixing the salty tears with the salty sweat as it moved down towards her chin.

Cranidos stepped toward her as Pachirisu climbed onto her shoulder and nuzzled her, and Chimchar, Starly, Machop, Turtwig, and Munchlax sat in front of her with wide eyes as they watched her worriedly.

Croagunk, Kricketot, and Mime Jr. stood behind her and watched her as she wiped her face of the sweat and tears. Keith watched the actions with tired eyes, offering her a hug when she glanced back at him, which she gladly took.

"I thought that... maybe... they were gone." She muttered.

"So did I, Kate." He whispered back, and she shivered as his warm breath brushed her ear. "I really hoped…" She buried her suddenly red face into his shoulder, as he stiffened slightly unsurely. "Kate, um…"

Kate nodded into his shoulder, acknowledging that she had heard him, before her Styler beeped quickly followed by his.

"Damn Rhythmi, how does she always know when to call?!" Keith muttered mutinously as Kate pulled away and clicked open the screen on her Styler.

"What has you calling, Rhythmi? Shouldn't you be sleeping?"

"_Shouldn't you?_"

"Yes. Yes we should." Kate's dry, tired tone made Keith flinch. Rhythmi chuckled embarrassedly over the Styler before stopping.

"_Er, we got a report from Pueltown…_"

"Isaac and Melody." Kate stated flatly, her eyes dark.

"What…?" Keith asked, watching as Kate sighed.

"_How did you know?_" Rhythmi asked, "_They seemingly disappeared in the last hour._"

Kate and Keith's eyes locked momentarily and Keith felt his fingers twitch slightly as he understood. _The dream._

After a second, he nodded in understanding and her mouth twitched upward at the corners. "Long story Rhyth." She said into the Styler. "One that I'd rather not get into." She clicked the Styler screen closed and looked at Keith, "Let's go see if Mewtwo is any more useful than Mew."

---

SLAM!

The third time she was thrown like a rag doll into the wall, she heard a loud POP resound from her right shoulder. Biting her lip as she fell to the ground, she wrapped her fingers around her arm and, with a grunt, popped it back into place. Her face contorted in anguish as pain flared from the joint, but she stood up and started directing her capture disk again, following the swirling form of Keith's capture disk as they both tried to capture Mewtwo.

Keith recalled his capture disk seconds after she heard the "OK!" from her Styler and she dropped to her knees, wrapping her hand around her right arm again as she gingerly moved her shoulder about.

"Kate…" she heard Keith mumble as he settled beside her, placing a light hand on her left shoulder. "I heard something pop. Are you alright?"

Kate laughed slightly, "Just my shoulder. You shouldn't worry so much. A moment of distraction could have sent you into a rock spire or something."

Mewtwo floated over toward her and looked at her as she made sure her shoulder was all right. She nodded at Keith in exasperation, conveying that she was indeed fine and he didn't need to worry. Looking up at the Pokemon, she smiled weakly, "You were a little bastard, you." She chuckled, "But we got ya. That's all that matters."

Mewtwo held up his three-fingered hand and looked at it as it started to glow with a purple energy. Kate raised an eyebrow as a spherical shape formed.

'_…another one of those stones?_' she thought as Mewtwo handed her another, perfectly round, clear stone… no, not completely clear, she realized. This one had purple smoky swirls floating around inside it. The image of Isaac and Melody faded from her mind as she took it and she looked up as Mewtwo started speaking telepathically.

**I'm afraid I am not the Pokemon you seek. **

"Damn." Keith muttered at this, "You mean we're still not right?" He placed a hand on Kate's shoulder to hold her back, as she prepared to lunge at Mewtwo in a rage. She let out a string of curses that put his internal cursing to shame.

He tugged her out of the cave with the help of Mewtwo momentarily restraining her psychically. With stuttered apologies to Kate, he led them away from the cave and toward their two Pidgeot. Mewtwo nodded slightly when Keith positioned Kate on her Pidgeot and set it flying, before he climbed on his own and Mewtwo let off his psychic control.

Keith sighed as he heard Kate raging twenty feet away from him, a small smile on his face. _There_ was the angry Kate _he_ remembered.

* * *

**A/N: Try Number Two... Failure, Number Two... ^^;**

**So, sorry for the MONDO delay, yo. Being allowed to only work for three hours a day REALLY delays how much I can get done. Next chapter is pretty much planned out, so you shouldn't have to worry too much about that. Should be up sometime in the next few days (I WILL have it done before the weekend is up, damnit!) but for now I think the "One day, One chapter" thing is going to have to go for a vacation for a while. Again, sorry.  
**

**Don't think I've forgotten... PERSONAL BUT PUBLIC REVIEWS TIME. Or PPR time. Or maybe PAPER time, whichever you like.**

**Lots of thanks to everyone who has reviewed these last few chapters, and big, Kate-and-Keith grins to Ashlynn, my BFF for offering her ears and eyes while I rambled nonsensically about how much I love this couple right now... and shoved my story under her nose to read. ^^**

**Reviews:**

**Roses 'n Horses **

**(Chapter 3) --- Thanks for your review. I really love it when new people submit reviews, even when they aren't signed so I can send them a note. 'Anyone out there reading this?' is usually the question going through my head when I start a story.  
**

**(Chapter 4) --- I surely hope this story is interesting, if it wasn't then I would think it were a bit of a waste of time... **

**FaithfulSoul (Only one to review ALL my chapters so far O.O) **

**(Chapter 3) --- Damn you and Fishy ApplePie for being so much fun to reply to! Your nonsensical rambling (much like my own aforementioned nonsensical rambling to Ashy) is really insanely fun to read and think up responses to.**

**(Chapter 4) --- LINEART!**

**(Chapter 5) --- (Tackleglomps teh cuteness of Mew.)**

**Fishy ApplePie**

**(Chapter 3) --- I AM modest, DAMNIT!**

**(Chapter 4 BOTH) --- You are so annoyingly fun to reply to. Just like your sister... **

**Straw BerriKitty**

**(Chapter 4) --- Trust me, I know EXACTLY which legendary they go to. (mischievous smile) THEY just don't know yet.**

**(Chapter 5) --- Beware the Fluff, for it is plotting to take over the world.**

**Moona-Kat**

**YOU ARE NEW AND AWESOME.**

**Berry Eon**

**YOU ARE ALSO NEW AND AWESOME.**

**Superikku**

**OMG I've got the personalities?! (Ish shocked)**

**HorseMagic17**

**This is your favorite story... you need to look at some other stories then, hun.**

**BlazieAura**

_**TEH FLUFF IS TO BE FEARED.**_

**Timberstar**

**You may wish it, but that won't just make it happen. Sadly, I don't really control them...? They're being incredibly stubborn right now (they tend to not look at me unless they're glaring nowadays, since I'm writing this xD)**

**---**

**WOW long AN. And with that, I leave you with a parting quote that I thought up this morning.**

**"Sometimes, when you have a hole in your jeans, it makes you have a holey crotch. Sometimes, when you have a hole in your mind, it's a mind block. Or you're just dead."  
**


	7. Chapter Six: Moltres

_POKEMON RANGER, OUT OF THE DARKNESS_ - Chapter Six: Moltres.

* * *

The wind blew across her face gently as she sat on the hovering Pidgeot looking down through the clouds toward the water. The sun was setting off to their right and a broken eggshell sunset turned the water and clouds below to flames. The wind was still gentle despite the hellish appearance of the Kanto world around her, and she enjoyed for a moment the feeling of her hair moving with the wind, one of the few feelings that she had truly come to love over the last year. Pueltown had been a quiet place to hide, once she found the small, secluded dock in the back, behind the stairs that led up to the upper level of the town. She had come across it completely by accident, yet it had become her favorite place to stow away for hours on end, just enjoying the breeze.

It had felt like no one could ever find her, and yet Keith had found her on that very first day, at sunset precisely. The same breeze that had once wrapped around her singularly suddenly found that it could wrap around two souls at once, push them toward each other and make them know how much they truly cared for the other. As then, as now, as always, the wind had been her friend throughout every situation she faced, be it alone or with her friends around her.

It felt good to reconnect with the wind again. She felt something in her heart calm down and be contented by the gentle breeze as she floated high above the world on the back of the patient Pidgeot. A sigh escaped her lips as she enjoyed the cold, crisp, clear air high above the world, far away from any uncertain future as she merely enjoyed the moment she had where it was just her, just the wind, and everything made an odd sort of sense.

She looked down at the feathered back on which she perched and patted the crest of the bird, a small smile tugging on her lips. The wind was always there for her, it never left, and no matter what adversity she faced, in the bleak world where everything was unpredictable and strange that she now found herself in, she could always count on the wind to be there.

She looked over her shoulder and smiled slightly back at the other familiar thing on this journey. It was so hard to believe that what had started as an old school rival had become her closest friend and ally, and her partner in crime throughout her adventures. She felt a small twinge in her stomach as she thought fondly of that first Bidoof capture race that had sparked into friendship.

She turned back toward the wind after a second, delving into her own dark thoughts as Keith flew up from behind her, grinning into the wind like an idiot who was thoroughly enjoying himself. The wind was blowing his hair around a bit too, but nothing like her long free strands that she had convinced him to allow her to pull free. The pigtails just… didn't seem… right, not anymore. Not for the memories that they brought from the dark recesses of her mind.

Keith's bright smile never wavered as he watched her face darken. He was determined to make things seem better if only by use of his demeanor. No matter how bad things got, he was going to be there for her… through it all, he'd persevere and eventually he'd be able to tell her the lingering secret he had been keeping from her, the only thing she didn't know about him.

She looked over at him and sighed, "Time to land." Before a second had past, she had wrenched her gaze from his and closed her eyes. He nodded despite her lack of attention, and after half a second of hesitation, he placed his hand lightly over hers on the opposite Pidgeot, hovering his close to hers just to accomplish the feat without falling into the water below.

He glanced downward and scanned the endless blue for a speck of green or brown or gray, something that would indicate land. Four such spots caught his attention, one of which (A gray island with a mountain in the center) looked like it had a very habitable beach that was probably dotted with caves. He patted her hand slightly to get her attention before banking and going down to a point where he could jump off easily. Her Pidgeot followed his on instinct; its rider lost in her own mind, and banked lower toward the land before hovering. Kate, still not paying attention, had her eyes closed.

"Hey!" Keith called up to her from the point where he had landed; having jumped off of the Pidgeot he had been riding and landed with a 'thwump' on the sandy shore. Kate, surprised, shifted unsurely a little too far to the left. Keith, with a yelp and a grunt, jumped forward and stretched out his arms to catch the suddenly falling form of the girl who meant the world to him. A rock lodged itself into his leg as he landed heavily on the ground, cradling the startled girl in his arms gingerly for a few seconds before pain registered in his mind.

"Stupid…!" he groaned, letting go of Kate and rolling onto his back, pulling his leg up to his chest. Kate sat up and looked over at him, confusion and disarmed curiosity on her face as a few strands of her brown hair fell into her face. Her eyes drifted from the wound that was now bleeding to the aggrieved expression on Keith's face. She felt her mouth tug upward as she gently pulled the trembling hands from the bloody limb and started looking it over, pulling out the small rock after a second to a hiss of pain from Keith.

"Quiet." She muttered softly, ripping her T-shirt hem off enough to wrap the wound. He grabbed her wrist after a moment of hesitation as she finished the knot, a pained frown directed at her as she turned her crystal blue eyes on him.

"Kate." He gritted out, as she helped him up, his heart wrenching in his chest as she kept her gaze reserved and controlled. Didn't she realize how much her touch pained and electrified him at the same time? Didn't she feel the jolt of shock whenever their skin came into contact?

Kate shook her head, a small frown on her face as her eyes squeezed tightly shut. Keith let the matter drop when he saw the small tears pooling on her eyelashes. She felt something; that was for sure. What it was, he wasn't entirely certain yet.

She helped him over to a cave, the many pokemon flooding into it after them as she set him down against a wall and wandered back out with Machop, Munchlax, and her ever faithful Cranidos to go find firewood and food. Keith was left staring after her as she wandered down the beach, leaving him literally drowning in Pokemon and being smothered by his Buizel. Regardless of the menagerie surrounding him, however, he couldn't tear his eyes from her downcast expression; she was very confused.

---

The world was full of "whys" at that moment.

'_Why?! Why does it feel so strange to be around him now? Why has everything changed so dramatically from one night of pure nightmare? WHY DO I FEEL SO CONFUSED?!_' Thoughts swirled around in countless jumbles of confusion as she kicked a stone dejectedly into the water a few feet away from where she stood with tears flowing out of her eyes. Cranidos and Machop were gathering firewood and Munchlax was attacking a bush of berries while she broke down. She dropped to her knees, picking up a stick from the beach and scratching out a few sketches in the sand, before throwing the stick and kicking the images away.

She didn't want to think anymore. She just wished her brain would stop working; that these confusing thoughts and feelings would just go away. She buried her face in her hands and sighed, tears squeezing out of her eyes. She felt a soft, moist nose push into her arm and lifted her face slightly to see the familiar orange Buizel.

"Bwee?" it cocked its head at her imploringly, a confused spark in its eye. She sighed and raised a hand to pat it.

"I wish I could tell you what was wrong, Buizel. But the problem is that I don't know." She laughed mirthlessly, "Everything's been turned upside down and mashed up and it's all confusing now."

"Buizel Bwee! Bwee, Bwee Buizel Zel!" The Buizel chattered at her, pushing his head into her palm happily before nuzzling her fondly. She smiled slightly at it as it scooted back toward the cave, doubtlessly going back to check on his partner.

She sighed again, standing up as Machop wandered over to her laden with fire-worthy-wood. Munchlax also came back with a handful of berries and with a branch from the bush in one of his paws. Cranidos crunched over the sand to her side, and she patted his head in acknowledgement, before leading the three back toward the cave as the sky darkened even more. She helped Machop pile the firewood in the center of the cave, before directing Chimchar to light it into a good fire. The spark blazed into life and soon they had a merrily crackling fire between them.

Keith's brown eyes never left hers, even though she herself kept her gaze downward. Before long, the fire died down to glowing embers and all the pokemon were asleep, regardless of the two humans who remained awake, one watching the other avidly while the other avoided his gaze. Kate lay down on her side, her eyes to the wall, and sighed softly, "Well… G'night."

"Night." Keith responded, his brown eyes shimmering with untold secrets and sadness. He wanted so much to tell her… but… he just couldn't bring himself to do it yet, not now, not when she wouldn't so much as look at him. He contented himself with just listening to her breathing, doubtful that he would be getting sleep that night.

---

_The darkness surrounding her was all too familiar now: the many memories playing themselves out briefly until she was alone again. She turned around into the sight that told her she wasn't quite as alone as she had thought. A flicker of confusion shone in her eyes as she stared at the unfamiliar form before her._

_The gaunt figure had stringy, charred brown hair that fell into their face, obscuring their eyes and features. Their shoulders sloped downward in an unnatural angle, as if they had been broken and bleeding far to many times. The rib bones in the chest showed plainly through the tattered rags adorning the thin body. She saw yellow-purple bruises all down the pallor of the twig-like legs. The figure wore no shoes, instead its feet hung down helplessly. Their ankles, wrists, and stomach were coiled in dark flames._

_"Who are you?" she brought herself to say, a mere whisper that was swallowed alive by the folds of black around her. The skeletal figure either didn't hear her question or heard her and didn't have the energy to answer or even look up. She watched as the flames surrounding the body started to eat it alive, yet they didn't even look up or flinch, or even twitch in pain. It was as if they were used to the angry gnawing of the darkness._

_"I'm a person who's been here too long… a person you know well." The quiet, hoarse voice finally said with a few harsh coughs. Kate's blue eyes widened when she heard the voice, certain she had heard it somewhere before…_

_…But before she could place the voice, the emaciated person called out in desperation, their voice cracking halfway through their cry, "Disturb not the Harmony of Fire, Ice, or Lightning…!" a series of callous lacerating coughs disturbed their sentence, but despite the obvious pain that they were in, they nonetheless continued, "…Lest these Titans… Wreak Destruction… Upon the World… In which… They… CLASH!" The body was eaten up completely, disappearing in the black, as the figure looked up and locked eyes with Kate._

_Right as blue eyes met blue, Kate felt something pulling her away from the girl who she faced. She raised an arm desperately, reaching out toward the familiar face, the same face she had seen in a mirror countless times before…_

---

She gasped as she sat up, her hand to her forehead as tears made their way down her face unbidden. She gasped for breath for a few seconds before sobbing softly. No matter how many times she tried to fight the horrible darkness that was eating her alive… she was still stuck there, still suffering…

The sudden encircling of arms around her startled her into looking around and seeing Keith. His serious face and tired eyes made her sob even more; as she buried her face into his chest and cried, she heard him crooning softly, a tuneless song meant for comfort.

It was a long few hours before sunrise would come, and neither wanted to let go of the other, one for the sake of comfort, and one to be comforted. The sobs that came from the shaking girl huddling helplessly in the tired boy's arms eventually died down to sniffles and shuddering sighs, though she never moved to pull away.

'_Maybe this is what it feels like to love…_' Keith thought as he rested his chin on the top of Kate's head, '_…the feeling that you need the other just as much as they need you…_'

As the morning grew cold and wet, Keith released Kate momentarily to pull the two string shot blankets around them, Kate never removing her face from his chest or her shaking hands from around him. He tugged the warming blankets close and buried his face into her hair, inhaling deeply the scent of sea breeze and strawberry. No matter how anything else smelled, he would never admit to have scented anything sweeter than her hair.

His shirt was soaked through with tears when the sun finally poked its way into their cave. Kate shuddered when he regretfully pulled his arms from around her, and she whispered softly, "Keith… I…"

Keith looked into her crystal blue eyes, unable to speak as she struggled with her words. She finally pushed her face into his shoulder, a sigh of content escaping her mouth. "I don't want these moments to end." She finally whispered.

"I don't either… no matter what happens before them… or after them… I just want to live the moments…" Keith breathed to himself, as Kate finally pulled away from him.

Her eyes were listless, and she opened her mouth slightly as she roused the Pokemon. "…Disturb not the harmony… of Fire, Ice, and Lightning… lest these Titans wreak destruction… upon the world in which they clash…"

Keith bit his lip slightly, reaching for any form of humor he could find. "Disturb not the harmony, huh?" he finally said quietly, "Well, we'll just have to take all three by storm. Surprise them enough that the Harmony is kept in balance."

Kate's small, impish smile was all he needed to see to let him know that his humor had reached her. He heard her chuckle as she stood, "Let's just get going, Keith."

---

Further exploration of the island that they were on revealed that it was a highly volcanic island, as the gray sand and rock was the remains of ash and magma. Kate hiked up the slope expertly, offering help to Keith who had to take it for the sake of keeping up. The shrubbery was scarce, though rocks and boulders were abundant around them. Kate used an Aerodactyl that she caught on the way to crush some of the larger rocks that were in their way.

As they finally came up upon the top of the volcano, the wind picked up, sending the pungent smell of sulfur into their faces. Kate started coughing harshly and had to slow to a more achievable pace for Keith. Keith found himself helping her up the mountain.

"If you want to, we can stop." He called down to her when she paused for the third time as they neared the rim. Kate's frequent coughing was beginning to worry him, and the trek was obviously tiring her out. He slid a few feet down the mountain to where she had paused and wrapped an arm around her waist, helping her further up the slope. As they reached the rim of the Volcano, the lava bubbled up closer to the surface and both started to sweat.

"Disturb… harmony… Fire…" Kate muttered haltingly, interrupted by coughs after every word. Keith squeezed her hand slightly, reassuringly, as he stepped up fully onto the small ring of rock. The volcano rumbled a warning shock to them just before the fiery bird burst out of the lava.

"_I am Moltres, the bird of Fire._"

Moltres.

Kate stopped coughing as suddenly as she had started, staring unblinkingly at Moltres as he rose up into the air, looking at them.

"_Who dares disturb the harmony of my sleep?_"

"Disturb… harmony… Fire…" Kate whispered again, her eyes widening in realization. She pulled away from Keith, pushing forward, "Moltres, we mean you no harm and we say this with the utmost respect, but we need your help." She knew she had said the wrong thing as soon as it escaped her mouth. Moltres spread his wings with a shriek.

"We need to get back down!" Keith called to her as the lava started bubbling closer to the rim. She stepped back half a step and moved toward him, reaching out her left hand, only to have a stream of fire crash down into her palm. She did the only thing that she could think of doing as pain flooded her system.

She screamed and cried.

Keith heard the pained scream from behind the wall of fire that had appeared, and he yelled out, "_KATE!_" The flames died away as Kate cradled her burned arm close to her chest, and he sent out his Capture Disc in desperation. He didn't care if his Styler was broken, he didn't care if Moltres turned out to be too tough. _He. Hurt. Kate._

His beautiful, courageous, angelic Kate. _No one_ hurt his Kate, not without consequences.

The Styler almost flew around Moltres as he directed it fiercely, one eye on the sobbing Kate, supporting her arm against her chest as the skin turned a dark red, and the other on the capture disc and the capture line, watching to try and prevent too much breakage.

Kate lifted her eyes to lock on his as Moltres began calming down somewhat, then her gaze shifted to the lava that was still growing closer. "Keith!" she yelled, "We need to get off the rim!"

"If I stop now we'll both be toasted!"

"If we don't go now then we'll be burned alive!" she yelled back jerking her head at the lava. Keith nodded, looking at Moltres before recalling his Capture Disc and dashing over the crumbling rocks to Kate, scooping her up in his arms before she could even protest. They were slipping and sliding through the hot rocks and ash down the mountain as Moltres, no longer calmed but now growing angrier every second, flew behind them.

Kate weakly pressed a button on her Styler, before calling out, "GODDAMNIT, EVERYONE HELP US!"

Rocks, bursts of electricity, flames, and bubbles flew past them, and even a water gun from his Buizel all headed toward the gaining Moltres. Kate clicked a few more buttons on her Styler and sobbed as the skin on her arm started throbbing with pain. He gently pressed his hand into hers and continued running, gasping for breath even as he ran.

Kate whispered something that he lost to the shrieks of rage coming from the firebird behind him. Her pained face broke his heart.

"Keith." She said again, more fiercely, "You need to capture him properly." She was holding her arm gingerly, as he ran, and she swung her legs around so she was out of his grip, landing firmly beside her Cranidos. Keith looked into her clear blue eyes and nodded, turning instinctively as he released the Capture disc again.

Kate continued down the mountain, throwing worried glances over her shoulder as she retreated back to the caves.

---

Keith came back.

He actually came back.

She was happy and sad at the same time, after seeing his downcast eyes. He handed her a small reddish orange stone and curled her fingers around it before pulling her into a hug.

"That burn looked bad," he finally said when he let go of her, "Let me take a better look at it."

"It's nothing." She whispered, "It'll heal just fine." She had wrapped the burn with a Caterpie's string shot after she had held it under a steady stream of cool, comforting bubbles from Piplup. The cold water had helped it stop throbbing and the cast was to keep it from moving too much while the skin healed. She knew there would be a scar, but it didn't matter now.

She placed the small, round stone in her pocket with the two others, sighing slightly. "Guess we go to the next island. Ice."

"Articuno." Keith said, surprising her with his knowledge of the name. "Moltres, Articuno, and Zapdos. Fire, Ice, and Lightning."

"I just hope…" she trailed off as she looked at his tired eyes again, "That when we get back to Almia, we're still both intact."

"We will be." He muttered back to her, hugging her again, "We will be."

* * *

**A/N: Well, sorry for the wait. The weekend ended way too fast last week, and then school monopolized my time and all that shiz. But it's back again! A lot more fluff for a lot more action.**


	8. Chapter Seven: Articuno

_POKEMON RANGER, OUT OF THE DARKNESS_ - Chapter Seven: Articuno.

* * *

The next island was covered with blue ice, and they had to make better use of their Fearow before they could land. Keith's sharp eyes scanned the isle below for some kind of cave that they could hide in, but the island refused to accommodate them. Kate's Styler beeped and she opened the screen while Keith continued searching.

"_Voicemail, Voicemail! Kate, report._" Rhythmi's voice came through the Styler, her face across the connection tense and tired. Kate's tired eyes were similar to Rhythmi's as she glanced over to Keith.

"Still fighting." She muttered in response, "Still alive. Got a bit of a bad burn from one of the pokemon we faced, but it's fine now. We're still working on what we're trying to do. What about in Almia?"

"_Well, er… Elaine…_"

"Damn, not her too?"

"_Barlow and the others were on a 'mission' on Nabiki Beach, you know that this time of year is their annual picnic to fool the students. Elaine chose to stay behind this year. When they got back, she was gone._"

"Tell Barlow, Crawford, and Luana to be on their guards. I have a feeling that they're in trouble." Kate muttered back to Rhythmi, "You be careful too, you hear?"

"_Will do._" Rhythmi's tired eyes were torn from the screen as Hastings' voice floated through the Styler.

"_Is that Kate that you have over the connection, Misery?_"

"_For the last time, Professor Hastings, it's Rhythmi!_"

"_Kate!_" Hastings called through the connection, ignoring Rhythmi. "_Things are getting a bit worse off in Almia region. I know that you two are busy, but are you sure this isn't just some wild goose chase?_"

"We need to find this Pokemon, whatever Pokemon it is. The sooner we find it, the sooner we can come back." Kate answered tensely, watching as Keith flew back over. "If things are getting a bit worse off, perhaps it's best if you started taking some other Top Rangers. Rhythmi mentioned that the students are on their One-Day Internships. Find out which students are the strongest at capturing or being operators, or mechanics, and recruit them. Great need begets great warriors."

Keith nodded as he watched her relay her suggestions for Almia. He knew that some things weren't going to be entirely the same when they got back, and he had a feeling that Kate realized it too.

---

"_…Great need begets great warriors._"

"Right," Rhythmi called through the connection as Professor Hastings started to pace again. "We'll get right on that. The Ranger School will be contacted and Principal Lamont will be asked about possibly training the students more intensely."

"_God, I hope things turn out right._" Kate's quiet mutter was the last thing that she said before calling, "_Right then, Kate, over and out._"

Rhythmi closed up the connection with a sigh, before turning around her chair to face Erma. "Well, you heard her. Her thoughts are that we take more rangers."

Erma nodded, a frown marring her face, before she turned to one of the younger Rangers, who had been called in from Haruba Desert, John. "Jonathan, dear, would you go out to the Ranger School? Every class has their high achievers, so I want you to scope them out."

"Yes Ma'am!" he saluted and moved to the escalator to go down to the second floor, disappearing a few seconds later.

"Sven. Wendy." Erma called without turning around, making the two top rangers look up, "I want you two out rounding up all the top rangers we've got and bringing them back here. Kate and Keith may say that they're doing fine and that they'll be back soon, but that doesn't change the fact that we need stronger rangers here. I'm calling a meeting in an hour, and I expect all our rangers to be here."

"Yes Ma'am!" Sven and Wendy both said unanimously before striding toward the escalator to the ceiling, two Staraptor following after them. Erma looked up at the screen, which had a special smaller screen revealing where Kate and Keith were in Kanto. The Orange Islands, it seemed.

So far away.

Erma sighed and moved toward her usual position in the center of the Operations Room, closing her eyes as she went. First a year where Kate disappeared completely off the map, now some time where she seemed so out of reach. Shaking her head, Erma thought, '_Someday, eventually, we'll get it right!_'

---

"KEITH!" Kate called into the sudden blur of whiteness, covering her eyes as she yelled and leaning into the slightly warmer feathers of the anxious Fearow she was riding. The storm had come from nowhere, and it was so intense that it was blinding her. Her old ally the wind had betrayed her and turned against her, and she couldn't see Keith, or hear him over the howl of the wind. "KEITH!" she yelled out again, flinching from the burst of cold and having to hold on tighter with her knees to the now annoyed Fearow. It looked back at her as if she were crazy to try and keep flying, and she gave it an annoyed look as if to say, "I didn't plan this, you stupid bird!"

She called out Keith's name twice more, looking through the whiteness like she was looking into a bright light from all around. She shivered again, this time with worry as the wind began knocking her around. She swerved the Fearow as she continued yelling, a frantic and panicked edge entering her voice, as she didn't hear a response.

"KEITH!" she screamed, tears beginning to fall out of her eyes as her stomach flipped and something moved through the whiteness, something she couldn't see clearly, which made her start to panic completely. She felt totally and utterly alone, more alone than she had felt in all her life… but no, she had felt this kind of loneliness before… she remembered this feeling, the feeling of helplessness, being unable to do anything… Her eyes widened as the wind blew harshly from the right, sending her sprawling on the side of the Fearow. She regained her balance as she realized just where she had felt so alone.

'_Shit!_' she shook uncontrollably as she leaned into the Fearow, which was fighting to stay airborne. The helpless feeling washed over her again, full force, as the wind knocked her off of the Fearow.

"KEITH!" she yelled at the top of her lungs as she fell. The wind died away, expectantly, as her arms flew out above her, and she fell as a rag doll would fall. Something collided hard with her back, but she didn't feel all the pain that she supposed she should have. She felt a gentle hand wipe her forehead and a terrified voice ask her, "Kate? Are you alright?"

"Keith…" she shivered, "I was alone… panicked… couldn't think straight…" she felt the wind dying away and she knew they were losing altitude. Keith wrapped his arms protectively around her as they descended, finally landing in a small cleft where ice couldn't reach. He flew his Fearow right into the cave before hopping off with Kate in his arms.

Kate sighed softly as she set up for a small fire, calling her Chimchar out from one of the very few Pokeballs that rangers used for their partners. She smiled weakly at the Chimchar, who chattered at her happily before setting the few pieces of wood in the crevice alight. Kate and Keith huddled together near the flames, their eyes dancing with the flickering light. Keith's turned a light golden color from the skipping flames while Kate's blue eyes turned a greenish red. Keith couldn't help but glance over at her as she shivered and held her hands before the flames.

Eventually, she looked up and sighed, "It's getting late. Better to sleep now and be ready tomorrow than stay up any later." He nodded silently as she lay down close to the fire, fingering something in her hands.

They were the small crystalline stones. One clear, one with smoky purple curls inside, and one a bright red and orange. Her eyes still glowed from the flames, but he could see the deep-in-thought expression on her face. She was thinking about something, what it was he wasn't entirely sure.

He smiled slightly at her as she finally replaced the stones in her pocket and closed her eyes, before lying down himself. It was going to be a long cold night if the fire went out, so he threw a few extra pieces of wood on it to keep it going strong. Then, he curled up into a small ball and closed his eyes, listening to both the wind outside and the calm breaths of Kate, trying to decipher exactly _which_ one was louder in his ears.

---

_Long, controlled breaths lead into a semi-simple dream, but she didn't trust it for a second for not turning into a nightmare. As she looked around the grassy expanse, she smiled very slightly as she recognized one of the meadows in Vien Forest… the very meadow that she had gotten her Cranidos in, if she recalled correctly, which she was sure she did._

_She walked out of the meadow and over to the bridge, crossing it and looking around in confusion at the lack of Pokemon. Despite the fact that she realized that it was a dream, she felt oddly disturbed at their absence. Crossing the familiar log bridge, she smiled at the very realistic creak that the plank gave out. She couldn't help but feel that maybe she'd see more Pokemon in a few minutes._

_The lush, emerald green turned into a darker hunter green, and shady areas appeared in the path. She enjoyed the coolness of them after the blaring heat of the sun, and felt herself relax. Her stomach flipped as she looked around, realizing with a jolt that, even though there were no charred branches or anything, a few of the trees were missing irrevocably from her line of sight. It was before Celebi helped her fix the forest, but without the charred ruins of some trees…_

_"No, no, NO!" she heard a familiar voice yell in a panic as flames started flowing out of a small clearing, and a young man ran out of the clearing, racing the flames, only to trip._

_'_Shit!_'_

_She looked at the man, who she had known for most of the time as Ollie, and realized he couldn't see her. That was why there hadn't been any pokemon; they sensed the coming disaster!_

_She felt the flames creeping toward her and coughed when she smelled the smoke, turning around and searching for a way out as the flames closed in on her. She coughed again as she felt smoke get caught in her lungs. She closed her eyes._

_When she opened them again, she saw nothing around her but the all too familiar darkness. A small frown appeared on her face, '_Why would I see the Vien Forest fire? That was… my first mission with both Luana and Crawford…_'_

_"You have a choice this time." The familiar voice came from the gaunt figure in the darkness that stood before her, next to Darkrai in her flaming chains. "It doesn't really matter what you choose," the Dark-Kate whispered into the folds of black, though Kate could hear her words as clear as day. "Whichever one you choose to save is only spared for a while."_

_"Why are you doing this to me?!" Kate's voice broke on the last word, "Why are you letting him control you?!"_

_"I think the question you should be asking, Kate, is 'Why am _I_ letting him control _me_?'" the tired voice called back to her, before the darkness consumed her again. She heard the voice again as Crawford and Luana appeared in the darkness, tied by dark bonds. "Now, choose while you still have the choice."_

_Kate's will broke as she looked at both of them, looking around in confusion before seeing her, then trying to reach for her, then realizing they were bound and calling to her to save them. She looked from one to another for a second before sighing and letting her tears go. She finally said, "Let… Let h… h… h-her g… go. Please." She pleaded, locking eyes with Crawford, who set his mouth in understanding. She hoped he would forgive her for saving Luana for the moment instead of him, but she felt in her heart that Luana wouldn't last as long as Crawford would. She mouthed a sad 'I'm sorry' to him as the darkness began wrapping around him, and Luana disappeared from sight, though she knew that Darkrai had spared her… at least for now._

_Crawford called out to her, "Kate, I just want you to know, I understand! Tell the rest of the team, tell Barlow and Luana if she doesn't remember, tell them I have faith in you!" the darkness wrapped around his mouth, cutting off anything else he was going to say, and tears burst more freely from her eyes. She reached toward him as he disappeared, then lowered her hand in misery._

_"I promise… I won't let you down!" she whispered._

---

Her eyes blinked open slowly and she stared up at the bluish rocks, before shivering and looking over at the fire, which had gone out. Wondering how early it was, she sat up and looked around toward the mouth of the cave, surprise etching over her face as she realized that a certain red headed boy was sitting there, staring out into the storm.

"You were talking… in your nightmare." He informed her without looking around at her, his voice quiet and controlled. She wondered why he seemed so closed off. "About Crawford." He clarified, and Kate's eyes widened in realization.

"What did I say?" she asked softly, lowering her gaze.

"You said… '_I'm sorry, Crawford, I'm sorry… I won't let you down._'" His tone was slightly broken as he said this, and she felt her stomach flip slightly. She cleared her throat, but he didn't look around.

"Keith." She said softly, "Look at me." He turned tired brown eyes on her, and she stared at him for a few seconds before starting to shake. A small frown appeared on his face as he recognized the uncontrollable shaking that had taken hold of her body, and she fought back a smile. Almost a second later, she burst out with a chuckle and shook her head, "You're a dork, you know that?" the small smile disappeared, "I had to choose between him and Luana, who would go in the darkness first… I couldn't make that choice… I couldn't stand having to decide who would face the torture initially… I knew he was a bit hardier than Luana… I…" her shoulders were shaking again as she held back fresh tears that threatened to flow freely down her already stained cheeks.

Keith looked at her tiredly before crawling back over to her and pulling her gently into a hug, whispering in her ear, "I'm sorry… No one should have to make that choice."

For a few moments they simply sat there, holding onto each other as Kate cried and Keith breathed, feeling awful for thinking that maybe she preferred Crawford over him. The morning grew warm and they looked out into the sunlight that shined down on them for a moment before both realized that they would need to begin the day, and their search for Articuno.

Kate climbed out of the cave, offering her hand to Keith for him to use to climb up with her. As they climbed together to the peak, both were immersed into their thoughts.

'_When this is all over… I hope… we can go back to Almia happy… and everything will go back to normal… but what is normal now? It's not like we can go back to the way we were when we were in Ranger School…_' Kate sighed as she climbed, pulling herself higher at an easy pace as the sun advanced in the sky.

'_Why do I feel so protective of her? I felt completely and utterly out of whack when I heard her talking about Crawford, and then I couldn't help the thoughts about if she liked him better than me…_' Keith bit his lip as he continued after Kate, pulling up next to her as she paused. He offered a small, weak smile and moved ahead of her, hearing her laugh and start to climb after him.

Their thoughts were a jumble of words that neither could make sense of, and the focus they ended up placing on the scaling was more than enough to distract them from the confusing thoughts. No matter how hard their situation would get, they would have to worry about the then and now… or they might not get to the next minute.

---

Cold spread through her legs as the ice crept upward toward her waist, finally settling around her hips, and she continued directing the capture disc with a little difficulty. She never really realized how big a part the legs played in the capture of any kind of Pokemon. Keith was in a slightly similar condition to her, his ankles having been latched down with ice. Articuno was proving to be a bit of a problem in their journey. The cold made her legs go numb and she couldn't feel anything. With a sigh, she whistled to her Chimchar, who ran over to her and sent a small flamethrower on her legs, melting the ice; he then went over to Keith to release his ankles.

"Just a little more!" she called to Keith, checking the gauge on her Styler, which was nearly full. Articuno, sensing that defeat was approaching quickly, raised his wings in anger and sent out a blizzard attack, surrounding them with swirling bits of ice and snow. Keith yelled out in shock, as the air suddenly got colder. Kate flinched as the snowy white bits got into her eyes and landed on her burn, which was still healing.

With a howl of pain and rage, she set her disc to charge, watching as the power got to four times as much as usual before sending it at the infuriating bird. The blizzard slowly came to a stop after the loud beep of 'OK!' from her Styler. She ran over to Keith, who was shivering.

"Cold!" he cried out, his eyes wide in shock.

Kate chuckled and shook her head, "What did you expect, it's an Ice pokemon. I suppose you'd want to _share body heat_?"

Keith's face turned an amusing shade of red at this, and he muttered something unintelligibly as she turned toward the Ice Titan. Articuno hovered a few feet before her and held a small round stone in his mouth, one that she had started expecting. She sighed as she took the bluish white stone and looked it over. She shook her head before turning to Keith, "Lightning's next. Better head to that other island."

Keith nodded and quickly caught a few stray Pidgeoto, which seemed to be strong enough to carry them at least till the last island. Kate's hair was wet from the ice that was clinging into it, and she sighed as she pulled her fingers through it. "Hopefully, since the last island is pretty good in size, there will be a town where we can stay." She continued muttering under her breath, "And I can get a shower."

Keith pretended he didn't hear the last part, even as he felt his face warm up and his palms start to perspire. He chuckled slightly before climbing onto his Pidgeoto and taking off. Kate quickly followed him into the air and they flew off into the rapidly sinking sun.

---

Luck played them a good hand and they DID find a small town, and as they lay awake in the room they shared in silence, Kate having showered and Keith having gotten all the food he could eat, both found themselves once more sucked into their own thoughts. Kate looked up at the tiled ceiling and mindlessly started counting the tiles as she thought over the events of that day. She felt her stomach flip slightly when she recalled her statement about sharing body heat. Something about that statement just… wasn't the way she was right now. She'd never been like that with Keith before. They were friends, and partners, not…

She derailed that thought and shook her head slightly, speaking up blandly to the also thinking Keith, "You know, there are seven thousand, four hundred and fifty-two tiles on this ceiling." The random multiplication of eighty-one and ninety-two hung in her head as she focused on it, and she nearly missed Keith chuckling.

"You do math faster than me, I just got that myself." He muttered, also having tried to focus on anything but his thoughts. He heard her turn her head and turned his to look at her. Blue eyes met brown for a moment and both smiled.

Keith's thoughts had been wandering from action to action that day, finally settling on the same statement that Kate had been thinking of. _Share Body Heat_. The words sent a tingle up his spine and he wondered what she could have meant.

They fell back into comfortable silence as the room grew darker and eventually both fell asleep to their own dreams. Keith heard Kate stir a few times, but she never woke, and it didn't seem like she was having a nightmare, so he let it pass. It wasn't every night that she slept completely through.

He woke up in the middle of the night and looked over at her, still asleep, before smiling and again closing his eyes. For now, he'd just enjoy her presence.

* * *

**A/N: SO! Another weekend, another chapter. School is getting really demanding lately so the only real time I have to write these chapters is on the weekends. I wrote half of this chapter in one day (last Sundayish) and the other half last night :P**

**More of the insufferable fluff. It's trying to take over the world, I tell you! One story after another, it's infecting the writers.**

**Also, I've discovered that I have what can be called 'talent' in writing both angsty/depressionish stuff along with inner thoughts. MIGHT do a diary-themed sequel that would be THE MOST ANGSTY THING I HAVE EVER DONE! Again, MIGHT. The things that I happen to start typing up when I'm bored. IT STARTS WITH A SENTENCE, THAT'S IT!**

**---We interrupt this angsty rant with a message from Kate---**

**Kate: WILL YOU JUST STOP MESSING AROUND AND TELL US WHAT POKEMON WE'RE GOING AFTER?!**

**Me: ...But that would ruin the story!**

**---**

**And now the random saying of the chapter: "I'm not even at Pilates class yet, and I'm already in pain." (Me, Thursday morning)**

**We hope you have enjoyed this Author's Note. (LOL 'We'. Sounds like a fricken CULT, yo.)**


	9. Chapter Eight: Zapdos

_POKEMON RANGER, OUT OF THE DARKNESS_ - Chapter Eight: Zapdos.

* * *

_The library in the Ranger School was crowded with students struggling to study for the final exams that were approaching, which unfortunately for some, were completely written tests. Almost all the students there were frantically behind on their studying, having lost months of preparation to the many long talks with friends concerning where they were going after Graduation, none ever thinking of what would come before it. Only one student was completely prepared for the exams and he was the only one who was in the library of his own will, sitting in the corner researching while other students sat around tables and had books piled before them. The mushroom-haired blond looked up for a moment toward one of the nearer tables, where a small hoard of students was crowded around three other students, two girls and a boy._

_One of the girls, a blond, was reading a book on Operating Basics idly and ignoring the crowd that was watching the other two. She was leaning back in her chair, keeping her balance by leaning against a table behind her. Her pleated hair was pulled back in different areas to give her a unique look and her mouth was curled into an amused smile as she listened to the many students talking while she read. Her brown eyes were sparkling as she lowered the book to glance at her two friends, before shaking her head in amusement and beginning to read again._

_The other two, the boy and the other girl, were playing "Spinz", a kind of Top game that they had made up with paper tops that had taken the school in their grip and were holding the students' attention with the power of a fad. The girl playing Spinz, whose brown hair was pulled up in pigtails, winked her blue eyes with a grin toward the boy as she readied to send out her three tops. The red haired, brown haired boy grinned back and flicked out his tops first, using a peculiar twist of his fingers that made the tops spin quickly. The students gathered around the two gave gasps of appreciation._

_The girl used a simple spin twist on her tops, sitting back and watching the tops spin, hers a bright whirl of colors and his tops being of a dark blue color. The rules of the game said that as soon as the first top was out, the others had to follow and then it was all up to which tops fell first. No interruption could make the tops fall or the game would have to be started over._

_The girl chuckled as first one, and then another, and then two more of the tops fell, leaving only one on each side. They carefully plucked the fallen tops out of the way of the remaining ones and sat back again, waiting patiently. His top was still spinning relatively straight, while hers was tipping to different sides, but still spinning. He was confident his would last longer than hers; it better, he thought frantically, looking at the bets piling up._

_"Who do you think is going to win? Keith's top seems like physics would be on his side."_

_"And did you see that flick he used to send it out? I've never seen that done before. My money's on Keith."_

_"Nah!" one girl called from the back, "Kate's got a record going! She hasn't lost one yet with that simple spin of hers!"_

_"Eh, the girl's got the game rigged." One of the boys scoffed. "No way she could have a perfect record like that without some catch."_

_"I don't have the game rigged, thank you!" Kate snapped with a grin to the boy, "I just have impeccable luck these days." She turned her attention back to the tops, hers acting like a weathered old bulldog: still fighting and holding on. She shifted her gaze to the dark blue top to see it hopping slightly, moving from side to side even though it was still standing. It hopped toward her top as though it was going to land on top of it, caught an edge on the table, flipped over and ground to a stop._

_She returned her gaze to her top, which revolved a few more times before also settling down. A small smile appeared on her face._

_"Told you!" the girl called quietly again, grinning as she collected the bets she had accumulated. Keith blinked a few times as he looked at the still tops, before he picked up his top calmly, stood from his seat, and strode from the library._

_Kate packed up her tops and stood, looking at the blond girl who had gotten ready to go after Keith, "I'll talk to him, Rhythmi. He's just a bit of a sore loser. I know where to find him." She walked out of the library, grinning confidently. _

_Rhythmi shook her head, smiling fondly; she knew that despite the fact that neither of them would ever be guilty of studying, they were going to get some of the highest scores on the test. Who would get the higher of the two? Hard to say, but she was betting on BOTH of them getting SOLID 98 percents. A tie this late in their rivalry would be an interesting situation to witness._

_The boy in the corner lowered his gaze back to his book, a small, goofy grin on his face as he shook his head. He had a feeling that even though the two Spinz champs were goofing off at the moment, the persistent nature of the two would drive them further than anyone else. Well, besides him, of course._

_Kate wandered out of the school doors with a small, satisfied smile on her face and looked around the courtyard before stepping slowly down the stairs in the front of the school. She smirked as she looked around at the Bidoof, Zubat, and, her favorite, the single Budew that she had managed to catch on the way to her One-Day Internship. She smiled slightly at the group before heading off toward the southeastern area of the school, Ascension Square. Keith was notorious for going there when he wanted to be alone._

_Stepping carefully down the steps, she looked toward the Pledge Stone, under which a shadowed person sat. She assumed it was Keith._

_"Hey! Will you quit being such a sore loser and just accept that I'm luckier than you?" she called out to the shadow. Hopping down the last few stairs, she blinked as she realized that the shadow wasn't Keith. A man sat hunched over beneath the shadow of the pledge stone, bleeding harshly. A Scizor stood above him, its claws covered in blood._

_"Sir?" she whispered in fear, her blue eyes darting between the man, and the blood on the ground, and the Scizor, which had turned its attention to her. With nary a warning, the Scizor disappeared from sight as it dashed around her, a red blur. The warning that it was against her came when the sharp pain jolted in her stomach, just beneath the ribs. She gagged and gasped as blood trickled down from her mouth._

_"You…" she whispered, her eyes narrowed, "…damn… bastard!" she released her Capture Disc and closed her eyes momentarily, wiping her mouth before--_

A flash of a capture disc moving around…

_--The image was fading, she couldn't breathe; the Scizor was holding her in an iron grip by the throat--_

A glimpse of yellow and black…

_--A frantic voice yelled out, "KATE! Keith, help her!"--_

Dodging a Lightning Bolt…

_--The Scizor let go of her with a grunt as she fell to the ground beside the dead man, catching a small glimpse of another man sneaking toward the stairs dressed in black. She snarled in pain as Keith captured the Scizor--_

"Kate!" Keith yelled to her, "Focus!"

Kate shook her head of the memory, clearing her mind for a second before focusing on the there and then, capturing their latest legendary, Zapdos. Four small stones jingled in her pockets, and she was determined to either find out the use of them or at least add another one of them. Keith was determined to help her, but if she couldn't help herself then he was doing nothing.

Kate's attention was divided by something that he couldn't possibly know about, but she still was a better Ranger than he was.

The capture discs chased each other around the bird, the third, oddly infuriating bird that the duo had faced together. A few seconds later, both of their Stylers beeped out the 'OK' signal and Kate sat down on the charged ground, an odd pain starting up in her stomach. She held her gut tightly and groaned, remembering only one pain like this before. That Scizor. That damned Scizor.

She felt Static Electricity spark up through her body and frizz out her hair, and sighed as Keith walked over to her.

"Old pains die hard." She muttered as he helped her up, a ghost of a grin on his face. She looked at him and raised an eyebrow, "What are you grinning at?"

"Your… your hair!" he squeaked, holding down a giggle. Stuck between two horrors – of whether her hair was as bad as it seemed and the thought of Keith _giggling_ – she smacked him on the shoulder and snorted, "You dork, you should look at your own hair!"

Keith helped her to her feet and smiled at her, before moving her over to the electric bird. Zapdos looked at her for a moment before starting to hover a few feet off the ground, leaving a small, round stone on the ground beneath it. Kate watched as it flew backwards a few feet before moving to pick up the stone.

"That makes five." She muttered as she tucked it away with the others. "We've faced five legendaries and we still haven't got an answer. Why is it so hard to find the one we need?" she whispered in distress. She almost didn't notice when Keith put an arm around her reassuringly, or when Zapdos hovered a little higher and started looking toward the other two islands. She did, however, notice the loud squawk that Zapdos gave out before disappearing in a spark of electricity.

Looking toward the darkening sky, Keith walked her over to an overhanging rock and began setting up for a night stay. Kate looked up at the rising moon and estimated the days until it would be full. About a week and a half.

Keith looked at her and asked her to let him borrow her Chimchar, and she looked over to him before letting Chimchar out of his Pokeball. Chimchar set the fire alight and chattered happily, eager to help in any way possible. Kricketot and Starly burst out of their Pokeballs, as did Cranidos, who let out an odd mixture of a growl and a groan. She looked at Cranidos for a second before recalling all of her friends, shrugging and lying down near Keith, closing her eyes with a sigh, and pushing the odd feeling in her stomach away.

Even though she didn't want to sleep, she couldn't resist the lulling crackle of the fire. Her eyes fluttered open a couple of times before she finally fell into a deep sleep, and her breathing slowed.

---

_Chaos reigned around her as she realized that two familiar forms floated before her. Barlow and Luana. She had nearly forgotten that Luana was next to go into the darkness. She watched sullenly as Luana nodded her head sadly toward her, realizing that she had no power over this place. Barlow, however, looked at her sullen form and immediately began yelling to her for help. _

_"I can't." she called back, tears tugging at her eyes, "I don't know how to help." She wiped her cheeks of tears and sighed, looking up again at Barlow, "You're going to wake up soon anyway."_

_"Not quite." A quiet voice came from behind her and the all too familiar gaunt visage of the Dark-Kate appeared from the blackness. Kate looked at her in confusion. "You need to be kept on your toes after all. She goes for Zapdos. He goes for your next adversary." The darkness closed around both of the remaining former team members as they panicked, and Kate snarled in pain, "You said only she would go!"_

_"Times change." The Dark-Kate said slowly, stressing each syllable, before giving a ghostly grin, an evil one, "And you know how we don't forgive. After all, I seem to remember _you_ were perfectly willing to leave Mr. Hall and his assistant here with us." The gaunt mirror image of her face broke out into a tired frown, as if fighting off the evil grin from before, "No, no more control… you need to fight it…" _

_The voice had changed to a weak one, and the eyes had changed too. Fear now resided in the eyes that looked toward Kate, and the darkness flowed around her and consumed her again._

_She disappeared from sight and left Kate, sobbing, alone in the black._

---

Sitting up made pain shimmer down her back, and she realized with a jolt that it was still near midnight. Keith was still asleep, a fact for which she was very thankful, and she lowered herself again before staring at the still glowing embers. She thought a moment before sighing softly and raising herself to her knees, before crawling out from under the overhang and beginning to hike up toward the top of the hill. The cold midnight breeze sent chills through her arms and legs and she shivered, before pulling out her Chimchar's Pokeball.

"You may be asleep, buddy, but even asleep your body still burns hot." She released him onto a small pile of leaves and rubbed his back when he turned on his stomach. The warm fur mixed with the warm body heat and the warm, fiery looking furry tail made a great combination for her cold hands. She gently picked him up and flipped him over into her lap before rubbing his stomach lightly, enjoying a few moments with the warm little monkey. The stars above twinkled coldly down at her, and she sighed, wishing she could for once just lay back and enjoy them without having her mind plagued by something. Whatever it was, the wind, the stars, the Pokemon, she couldn't enjoy them like she wished she could.

Something tugged at the back of her mind and she instinctively looked toward the overhang. Keith… there was something slightly off about him. She looked up at the moon again and winced at the paleness of its face, realizing with a jolt that she might look the same way.

She raised a hand to touch her face and felt the flush there, though her fingers were so cold that she couldn't feel them at all. She gingerly touched her nose as if to make sure she still had one before again resting her hands against the warmth of the furry Chimchar resting in her lap.

A small crackle of electricity caught her attention and she looked over to see Zapdos watching her. She raised an eyebrow slightly before standing up and recalling Chimchar, striding over toward Zapdos before pulling out the stone he gave her and examining it. The yellow-white stone was, like the other two birds stones before it, a light color, almost transparent, but glowing with energy. She looked up at Zapdos again before sighing, "We're not done here, are we?"

"_No, you still have much to face, starting tomorrow morning, your battles grow more internal…_" it paused and looked toward the other islands before narrowing its eyes, "_The others are awake. Tomorrow things get harsh._" And with that, Zapdos flew up and disappeared in a bolt of electricity, leaving Kate wondering just what he meant by 'tomorrow things get harsh'.

* * *

**A/N: Hehe, hey. Sorry for the delay and, in a sense, the slightly shorter chapter. The next chapter will make up for it, promise! It's quite the chapter actually. Ashlynn already agreed with me that I'm being evil to Kate and Keith, but these battles are what drives them closer!**

**So, it's that time again!**

**Kate: To learn today's lesson?**

**Keith: To attempt to escape from this place?**

**NO! To respond to all the reviews that I didn't respond to at first (which is all of Chapter six's reviews... -sweatdrop-)!**

**Chapter 7!**

**KatsuNoPawaa - OwO Sorry to Say, but Rhythmi is just doing her job as best friend. She's been giving them some space though, oddly enough. Me senses a big conflict with her coming up soon.**

**Chapter 8!**

**KatsuNoPawaa - OwO -is holding Le Bazooka- **

**Eire13 - O_o "hot situations..." ??? -confuzzled-**


	10. Chapter Nine: Lugia

_POKEMON RANGER, OUT OF THE DARKNESS_ - Chapter Nine: Lugia.

* * *

Kate and Keith flopped next to each other on the floor of the room at the Pokemon center, Kate having fallen over in exhaustion and Keith lowering himself to lie next to her. He gently wiped her forehead of the sweat that had grown there and sighed, "I thought we were so close today, didn't you?" he asked quietly. Kate nodded slowly and turned her head to rest her cheek on the ground. Keith continued gently stroking her forehead, staring off into space as he thought.

Kate inhaled slowly, her eyes closing as her body relaxed from its seemingly infinitely tense position. The carpet beneath her cheek was soft and as she thought over the events of that day, she couldn't help but feel… _safe_. A feeling she wished she could feel more lately. They were supposedly far away from the next dangers they faced, which were supposed to be all the way across Kanto. Kate was beginning to get worried; what if the Pokemon they needed didn't even exist? Keith's gentle touch to her forehead was possibly the only thing that kept her from hyperventilating. She couldn't let him worry…

The memories flowed almost as silently past her eyes as the tears did. She could remember the voices, the cries for help that continued past her ears that day as people below her and Keith panicked. She remembered the flames and the ice and the lightning. She remembered the forceful water current slamming her around as she sank down.

It had started as a relatively normal day for them by then. Get up; nod a good morning to each other; head out of the cave and look around for flying types. They didn't know that they would be delayed that day. They didn't know that there was an underwater current brewing, and as the three legendary birds woke up, the chaos would begin. She had been the first to hear the vengeful cries of the three birds. He had been the first to see the lightning, fire and ice flying around. They both saw the carnage those three things created.

Kate sighed as she opened her eyes again; Keith was still comfortingly rubbing her cheek. What she needed wasn't comfort: it was sleep. She hadn't slept after her little "chat" with Zapdos, and she had hardly slept on any of the nights before. She was running out of gas, she couldn't keep going much longer. She prayed she'd have just one night of restful sleep.

They had faced their harshest fight yet. They just seemed to be getting harder to beat, and she didn't know if the two of them would be able to keep up.

_Lugia…_ she thought slowly, her eyes drifting closed again as Keith finally turned to look at her and realized he was gently caressing her cheek. His hand was pulled away, and she sighed, sleep drifting closer and closer. She wanted to sleep. She needed to sleep.

The images flashed again, regaining her attention almost as quickly as it had slipped away. Her Styler nearly breaking. Keith's horrified yells growing dimmer and dimmer as the water pressed around her. The inching cold. She remembered it all, every event of that day, in vivid detail. All three birds fighting above her even as she fell without end toward the water, before a fourth Pokemon burst out of the water and caught her on her back. She remembered Keith flying around her and the Pokemon hesitantly as they both strove to capture the birds. All of it.

She remembered falling.

The memories were all mixed around, she could tell, but they all held special meaning. Keith was worried for her. Keith would stay around as long as she wanted him to. Keith would help her regardless of the circumstances.

And all she was doing was dragging him down with her.

She felt him stand and walk over to the light switch to turn off the lights and her eyes stayed closed as she listened to his sturdy footsteps. The days seemed much longer while the battles continued without end. She wanted another week, like she had had just before Mewtwo, just to catch up.

She had no fear, not yet. She had defeated all three Legendary Birds along with Lugia. She had no fear until she was asleep, alone in that dark place, unable to do anything. She felt… useless, afraid, _vulnerable_ there. And when it wasn't the darkness that surrounded her, it was pain of others that caused her pain. She had always put others before herself. It was what had led her to the top of that tower to battle Darkrai. It was what had led her to running away, hoping to protect those around her. It was what had led her into this ridiculous journey. How many people had disappeared now? Seven? And how many did they affect? Too many. She needed to end this madness as soon as possible.

She thought back on the odd clue that Lugia had given them. The feather in her pocket, clear as glass, and the word '_Mirage_'.

She drifted between sleep and consciousness as she felt Keith lifting her into his arms before lowering her on the bed on one side of the room. She heard his breathing moving away as the footsteps that were muffled by the carpet moved across the room. He settled onto his bed which let out a despondent creak before falling silent as they both kept still. She wasn't sure whether he was sitting or lying, but she could feel his eyes on her.

She felt safe. She was safe. She could sleep…

---

Keith noticed the tears, he noticed the hitched breathing, he noticed her blank stare toward the wall. He held in a shiver as he watched her staring toward the ceiling through her eyelids, recalling the dead look he had seen in her eyes that evening after he had pulled her out of the water, holding desperately to his Buizel and her Piplup. He only hoped that he could pull her out of the depression she seemed to be falling into.

---

_"Wha… What's going on?" the young blonde asked in fear as she looked around at the people surrounding her. She couldn't have been any older than thirteen, just out of Ranger School, yet it was obvious by her uniform and the Fine Styler on her wrist that she was a Top Ranger. Kate blinked as she looked at the girl, standing in the middle of a ruined Operations Room with several bloody Rangers around her. The girl looked almost like a younger version of the battered Rhythmi in the corner, who had blood streaming out of her mouth. Kate walked over toward Rhythmi slowly, hesitantly, before she saw Erma laying behind one of the desks, her cane out of her hand. Someone or something had knocked it out of her grip and it had skidded across the floor to rest at Hastings' feet, where he slouched against the Operators chairs. There was blood everywhere._

_Kate blinked in fear as she looked around, waiting for someone to move or groan, or give any indication that anyone else was alive. She didn't know who the young girl was, but she knew the others. Marcus, slouched against Linda, who was the third Operator, had his arm twisted in an unnatural way. Linda had a gigantic bruise on her forehead and her breathing was feeble. Sven and Wendy were still standing, holding each other up, but they both looked like they would collapse from exhaustion soon. The girl in the center of the room looked around at the many injured people around her before she let her eyes fall on a similarly young ranger, this one a dark redheaded boy with bright green eyes. _

_Kate saw something flash in the young girl's eyes, and her heart skipped a beat, before the girl gasped and ran to the injured young boy, crying, "Johnny! Please be alright!" The whispered words were loud in the silent room around them. Kate flinched as the girl rested her head on the young boy's chest, the bright green eyes dulling quickly as darkness came to consume him as well. So much… too much… tears burst from her eyes at the same time as the girl's. _

_"Johnny, no, please… John… don't leave me… you can't leave me like this!"_

_The broken cry fell on deaf ears as people began to stir around them. Sven and Wendy collapsed against each other; too weak to stand but not weak enough to lose consciousness. Rhythmi's eyes fluttered weakly and Marcus hissed in pain as his arm shifted. Linda lifted a hand gingerly to her forehead and Hastings helped Erma up. Another young boy, this one with black hair and blue eyes, rubbed his head anxiously before catching sight of the girl and hurrying over to her. Kate felt invisible, useless. She couldn't comfort that girl. She couldn't help everyone stand or tell them exactly what had gone wrong. She couldn't have prevented this scene from happening._

_The scene was too real to be just a dream. It was a vision. This was going to happen or… her breathing hitched, and she knew. It had already happened. The boy was dead. The girl was heartbroken. Everyone was injured. _

_And here she was in Kanto, snug and warm and far away from the horrors of what was happening in Almia. _

_The tears flowed freely as the broken voice came from the darkness that was consuming the scene around her, "It will only get worse from here."_

---

The Operations room was in ruins. There were bloodstains, broken tiles, Styler pieces; everywhere you looked you saw carnage. The monitors were broken and the chairs had been ripped away from the floor. Erma leaned on her cane with more force than she usually had to. The attack had come from nowhere and was brutal. No one had escaped unscathed.

Hastings was standing by her side as they looked at Rangers helping other Ranger, Operators nursing each other's wounds. Then she looked to the corner behind the escalator, where a huddled form sat and sobbed quietly. The young blond who had just joined the Union had seen just what could happen if balance was disrupted in Almia. People could die; loved ones, friends, family. Her young friend had seen if first hand, unfortunately. She hobbled over to the young girl and placed a gentle hand on the girl's shoulder, waiting with her while she sobbed.

"Why… why did he… have… have to… to leave me…?" the girl sobbed again and again, hugging her knees to her chest and rocking back and forth slightly. "Why… why did… the attack… have to… to… to _kill_ him?!"

Erma sighed and looked again at the destruction. Almia had never seen such horrors. She doubted any place had seen such horrors as that day. An innocent life had been ended. Many more innocent people were injured; people who wanted to help others. She couldn't believe how heartless some people could be. The casualties might have only been one this time, but the impact of how the young death affected people caused an unusual amount of sorrow.

She ran a gentle finger along the cut on the back of the girl's head and her eyes started to tear. It was only luck that only one life had been taken. Three Garchomps on a single young ranger… she wondered _just_ how the girl had survived.

Then she realized as she looked at the cold body next to the girl _just_ what had saved her. Distraction which had cost a life yet had saved countless others… what a noble cause.

The third young Ranger that had joined the Union right out of school, a young black haired boy with blue eyes, was helping Sven and Wendy wrap up their wounds. His hands, though shaky, were holding the bandages expertly and tying the knots surely. Erma hobbled over toward the boy and placed a shaky hand on his shoulder, making him look up and share a solemn look with her.

"Christen is suffering." Erma said slowly, her eyes tired as she looked down at the boy who continued tying the knots even as he watched her. "Noah, please go comfort her. I will help Sven and Wendy."

Noah nodded slowly, pulling the bandages tight into a knot around Sven's arm before standing and moving toward the escalator to go help the girl, Christen.

"Hey, Chrissie." He said slowly, kneeling before her and placing a hand on her shoulder, his blue eyes solemn as she sobbed. "Johnny wouldn't want you crying your life away, would he?" he asked her softly, "'You're a top ranger now! You should be out helping people!' …that's what he would say." Noah said surely, pulling Christen into a hug.

The cracked monitor lit up slightly and a worried voice came over, "_Voicemail, Voicemail! Is everyone alright?! Please, someone answer. It's Kate!_"

Kate's face was up on the broken monitor, her bright blue eyes anxious and looking around at the scene before her. Rhythmi pulled herself up into the chair and wiped her still bloody mouth, looking slowly from Linda, to Marcus, to Sven and Wendy, to Erma and Hastings, then off into the corner to Noah and Christen before answering. "We're dealing, Kate. You look like you already know what happened. Casualties are only one, we've managed okay. Not fantastically as we possibly could have."

"_Thank god the casualties are so low…_" Kate exhaled in relief, "_I'm sorry for the girl who lost her friend._"

"How did you know anyway?" Erma asked slowly, locking eyes with Kate.

"_Nightmare… how else?_" Kate laughed mirthlessly. "_I also know that it'll only get worse from here. I've decided that we're coming back._"

"You can't!" Rhythmi cried, "You haven't found the Pokemon yet, Keith called us and told us that himself just before the attack!"

"_Almia needs us._" Kate said sharply, "_It doesn't matter anymore. It's either we come back to help or more people die!_"

"MORE PEOPLE ARE GOING TO DIE ANYWAY IF YOU CAN'T STOP WHOEVER'S DOING THIS!" Rhythmi yelled with tears in her eyes, "I DON'T WANT _YOU_ TO DIE TRYING!"

Kate stayed silent for a moment as she looked over her shoulder at something, probably listening to Keith, long enough for Christen to climb out from her hiding place with Noah at her side. Christen spoke up unsurely, "Umm… excuse me… but… You're the one who's trying to find that Pokemon, aren't you? If you give up now… just because Johnny died… then wouldn't that make your journey kinda… pointless?"

Kate looked over the young girl with a raised eyebrow before again looking over her shoulder to listen to whatever Keith was saying, before sighing and saying, "_Fine, we'll keep looking for that Pokemon. We've got a new lead now. We really must find it… for everyone else's sake._"

---

The air up above the ground around the top of Altru tower was cold and crisp. There was a frizzy haired man with a bloody nose laying unconscious in the corner next to two Drowzees, limp. Standing in the middle of the tower was a black haired man who had a pair of dark sunglasses in his hands. And despite what most people would believe, he was not the previously banished Blake Hall.

The man raised an angered eyebrow at the Drowzy Guy, before muttering softly, "Why are you back here, you annoying pest?" he turned toward the bright white light coming off of the clear crystal floating before him, with three glowing gems hovering in the air around it. "You." He growled at the crystal. "I know what to do to take you out of the picture. The only thing holding me back is that blasted Ranger Union." He fell silent as the wind blew around them, waiting.

"Sir!" a man in uniform said in acknowledgement as he ran up the stairs behind the dark haired man, "The Trainees just came back from the Ranger Union. The youngest one reported that the Union suffered a casualty."

"A casualty? _A _casualty? _A_ casualty!?" The man yelled at them, "I WANT _SEVERAL_ CASUALTIES!"

The young minion flinched, "I will, er, relay this message to the recruits, sir." He said slowly, backing away from the angered man. "Forgive us for our impudence!"

The man turned back to the crystal as the minion disappeared, a sharp breath escaping his mouth. "Useless, every one of them." He muttered, glaring at the crystal again, "You prevent me from my great purpose of ruling the world. You hold me back, you blasted crystal. But where Blak_e _Hall failed,_ I will succeed._"

---

_Kate,_

_I know this may not be the best way to contact you, since you may not get this letter, but your father and I believe that perhaps it's time we left Almia. Things are growing out of control and we can't be caught in the crossfire. We're very proud of you, never doubt that. We just need to know that we can be there for you when you truly need us. We'll be headed back to Fiore for the time being… please, don't die on us… we couldn't stand to possibly lose… another daughter…_

_Lots of Love,_

_Mom._

The letter was tattered and tearstained by the time she finished reading it, and she felt guilt building up in her chest.

"I promise mom…" she whispered, "I _will_ get Little Sis back."

* * *

**A/N: So... thanks for waiting for me? -anxious grin- Kate and Keith had this humongo argument and didn't want to work together at all and I was struggling to fix things. So here's the chapter... -sweatdrop-  
**


	11. Chapter Ten: Entei

_POKEMON RANGER, OUT OF THE DARKNESS_ - Chapter Ten: Entei.

* * *

_"Kate, help, please!" the anguished voices were almost expected now. She realized who was calling for her and raised her arm, reaching for Sven, her eyes wide and panicked. "SVEN!" she yelled into the darkness, straining to catch hold of him. The Dark-Kate appeared, and she too strained against her bonds, looking at Kate with the same panicked eyes._

_Kate didn't feel the darkness wrapping around her, she didn't care about it anymore. She couldn't take anyone else disappearing… Especially not Sven, not Sven who helped her catch Palkia, not Sven who worked with her and Keith in Chroma ruins, not Sven the ranger who had made 10,000 captures… Not Sven her friend… She strained toward him anxiously, watching as the darkness wrapped around him._

_"Kate, you have to save yourself…" the Dark-Kate whispered suddenly as Sven continued to fight, "If you don't then you'll be the one stuck here for all eternity… if you don't help yourself, you can't help him, or Barlow, or anyone else! You can't help Keith!"_

_The last sentence broke into her mind and she gasped, looking down at the smoky tendrils that were grasping her stomach. She closed her eyes. '_I need to wake up, now._' Her eyes opened and she opened her mouth, taking in a large breath before yelling to Sven, "I'LL HELP YOU! I SWEAR I WILL!" She let her hand drop and something in her pocket glowed. The feather, the blasted feather. The stupid riddle that was holding them both in their grip. She felt so close to the answer, but it would slip away before she figured it out. _

_"Save yourself…" Dark-Kate murmured again, struggling still against the dark bonds that held her. She let out a few more callous coughs and winced as blood streamed from her throat, "You can save yourself, Kate, and you can save everyone. You've done it before… these nightmares are… warning you… you need to know…"_

_Kate turned on the mirror image of her, her eyes wild, "WHY IS DARKRAI TORTURING ME LIKE THIS?!" she sobbed hysterically at the bound girl, "Why does he take the people I love?"_

_"…You need to know…" the Dark-Kate said again, her voice growing dim, "Darkrai… isn't… taking… them…"_

_Darkrai isn't taking them. _Darkrai isn't taking them. _The words were spinning in her head even as the fading girl explained what she meant._

_"He's… telling you… they're being taken… in the only… way… he can…" she was disappearing, "Darkrai… is on… our side…"_

She jerked up, breathing harshly, to find herself in Keith's arms once again. "Sven…"_Darkrai isn't taking them._ "Darkrai…" _Darkrai is on our side._ How could he be on their side…?

Keith murmured something in her ear but she didn't hear him. Her thoughts were whirling. _Darkrai… what's up with you?_

---

The gentle ripple of the wind across her face was like the touch of a memory, one of when things were so much simpler, so much easier to understand and deal with. Keith was off somewhere behind her while she dreamed, really dreamed for the first time in almost a year, atop the Pidgeot. Pachirisu was tucked inside her jacket for both warmth and protection from flying away. Much as the little Pokemon looked like a squirrel, she doubted that it could _fly_ like some squirrels could.

The green landscape below her was rarely broken by small stone fences or little towns in the countryside. She could actually enjoy it, being in her state of dreaming. She almost thought she was hallucinating, after all, she shouldn't feel this happy when she was surrounded by misery… especially when _she_ was the reason that the misery was occurring.

Her hair was once again blowing out behind her. She hadn't worn her pigtails in a few weeks. It was different, not having the familiar tug in those places that she had practically grown up with, but she still couldn't think of wearing them when they made her think of that first time they had been pulled out, back when she first faced Darkrai. The memories preceding that experience flashed before her, and the feelings she felt just before.

_"We can't have you two go. Sven and Wendy can manage alone!" Hastings told them while they frowned at his turned back. They both knew deep down that they were ready to take something like this on. No matter what they ended up facing in Altru Tower, they had both experienced so much more, and here was Hastings, acting like the first pokemon they saw would make them break their stylers!_

_"_Voicemail, voicemail!_" Came across the link from Sven and Wendy, which both were sharing; "_We've run into a bit of an issue._" Sven's voice continued, "_Three shields prevent us from bringing the gems in aerially. Someone would need to come up through the building and disable the shields._" Hastings and Erma looked uneasy. _

_"We don't have anyone we can spare…" Hastings muttered, frowning. Kate growled quietly under her breath, an action that was mirrored by Keith a second later. Kate narrowed her eyes and cleared her throat. "WE could go, you know."_

_"Nonsense, you're not ready for something like thi…" Hastings turned around as he spoke and caught sight of their offended looks. Kate narrowed her eyes further. "I stand corrected. Your eyes tell me that you're ready. I apologize for treating you as rookies."_

_Kate nodded and shared a glance with Keith while Hastings announced that they would be helping Sven and Wendy. Keith offered an uneasy smile as he watched her. They were partners in this._

The mission had started out rather disastrously, to be honest. Several floors of obstacles had worn both of their amounts of patience thin, especially considering they had to rescue Isaac as well. By the time they found him and learned he had been forced to make the final adjustments, Kate had lost her patience. She had taken out seven Pokemon on her own, ruthlessly pushing through the crowd and stomping further up the tower. No one could stop her. Kate smiled from her perch on the Pidgeot as she remembered the unstoppable feeling that had taken hold of her chest. Even after Keith had been knocked away, she still kept going relentlessly. That uncontainable feeling of glee that she felt when she finally got the Yellow Gem back came back to her now. She chuckled into the wind as Keith caught up with her, his face drawn and tired, but his usual grin still on his face.

"What has you so happy?"

"Just remembering better days. Oddly enough it makes me happy to think about how good things were back then instead of thinking of how horrible they are now."

"That makes an odd sort of sense and yet no sense at all," was the brilliant answer from Keith.

"I know, but it makes me happy, so I'm going to think about it." Kate responded softly. Their stylers beeped twice, which indicated that a voicemail was coming through.

"_Voicemail, Voicemail! This is Rhythmi. I have a bit of bad news, guys. We're running out of people to help us fight. Barlow's team is gone and nearly all the new recruits from the Ranger School have backed down. We have a few of the recruits still with us, but their number is very few. And… Sven disappeared._"

Keith's eyes were pained and he struggled to keep a calm voice, "Can we get a status report of the investigation over who's doing this, Rhyth?"

"_Still going slow. We've found a greasy sort of residue and a small black hair that was dropped off of a Gliscor, though. Nate's still analyzing it."_

"What's keeping him up?"

"_The residue has some sort of contamination; it's not really grease like hair normally produces. The hair was stiff with the stuff and it smelled horrible._"

"Well, tell him good job anyway. That we've gotten this far is an accomplishment." Keith sighed as he and Rhythmi finished the transmission. Kate had been silent throughout the entire conversation as she thought. A greasy residue… something here didn't add up right. She had a bad feeling that she knew exactly who was behind this… she just didn't have a name or face yet.

Call it a gut feeling.

She looked downward to see three fields below them. One of them had burned up grasses and an ashy look to the ground, but there didn't seem to be any sort of fire burning. She nudged her Pidgeot into a banking curve that let her jump off. Keith followed a few seconds later, miscalculated, and landed on top of her sending them both sprawling to the ground with their limbs tangled together.

Keith pulled himself free and into a sitting position with his face tinted a bright red. Kate rubbed her head and shifted to the point where she could rest it on her knees, looking at her leg where there were several ashy scratches from one of the sticks she had landed on. Thankfully, none of them were bleeding.

"Sorry." Keith muttered embarrassedly. Feeling gracious, Kate nodded and helped him stand up. She looked around a few times before sighting a cave.

"Looks like that's where we'll be sleeping." She muttered quietly, her mood shifting toward annoyed. She had gotten tired of sleeping in caves but sleeping out here in the open, on the ground of this fire-stained field was the least appealing option to her at that time. She rolled her neck before walking toward the cave, pulling out the odd feather as she did so. She twisted it in her fingers slightly, looking through it at the ground below.

Keith watched he walk toward the cave before walking after her, looking around them in an attempt to see any hostile Pokemon that could attack. His attempts proved futile but he was glad that he couldn't see any.

As they entered the cave, Kate held a hand to her head as a faint, but indescribable ringing took hold of her ears. She felt dizzy, she needed to sit… Vertigo made her loose her footing as she stumbled forward and she felt Keith's arms wrap around her waist to hold her up. She closed her eyes and mumbled, "Oh god, do you hear that?"

Keith raised an eyebrow, looking around for a few seconds with his ears perked. He heard a low rumbling, but Kate didn't seem to be hearing that. "Hear… what, Kate?"

"The ringing…" Kate murmured, "Can't you hear it?"

"I don't hear any ringing… I hear an odd rumbling sound, but…" he paused and saw that her pocket was glowing faintly. He closed his eyes and focused for a moment before picking up the almost silent sound of a prolonged note… it certainly did sound like ringing, in a sense. "Wait, I think…" he said, unsure. Kate was gripping her forehead and her eyes were held tightly closed. He gently lowered her into a sitting position and leaned her against the wall. The rumbling sound got louder as the faint glow from her pocket increased. He tugged out the clear feather, now glowing brightly.

"Keith," she muttered, opening her eyes as the feather stopped glowing and the low grumbling note disappeared with an echoing silence replacing it in the cave. "I don't think we're alone in this cave." Her whispered statement sent shivers down his spine as he felt hostile eyes on his back. He flipped around and sent out his Capture disk on instinct, watching it fly toward a large brown dog-like Pokemon with… clouds for a tail.

Keith raised his eyebrow as he directed his capture disc, looking at the status bar and how little it was filling with each circle he made. Kate's styler soon joined his and he watched the status bar move a bit faster. He looked at Kate and she nodded.

"We have to charge to full power and both circle. If we keep the charge long enough, we should be able to capture him." He muttered slowly, calling back his capture disc before letting it out again when Kate and he were ready. They both started charging their capture disks and once they were charged, they let loose again.

---

The status bar bleeped out an OK as Kate was sweating from the exertion of trying to capture this Pokemon. It was turning out harder than they both expected. They'd had to recharge several times and a few hits had Keith's styler nearly out of commission. But they had finally done it. They had captured whatever this Pokemon was. Keith pointed his styler at it and pressed a few buttons to bring up the browser, causing a beam of light to scan the Pokemon. Kate followed suit, still in her sitting position against the cave wall.

The browser spoke up in a mechanical voice, '_Entei, a legendary fire type pokemon. It is said that when it roars, a volcano erupts somewhere around the world._' Kate clicked a few buttons to save the information before leaning back against the wall again, wiping her forehead. "I need to rest…" she muttered, her breathing sharp. A soft glow from her pocket brought her attention and Keith's attention to the feather.

Kate pulled it out of her pocket and looked it over. It was still see-through, still clear, but it was glowing softly. Entei perked up when she pulled it out to inspect it. She didn't know what it was glowing for but…

"_You have the clear wing._" The voice had to have come from Entei; it was deep and resonating through the cave. Keith looked from Kate to Entei and back, his eyes taking on a protective glint as they had several times before. Kate sighed and nodded to Entei, "What about it?"

"_Give it to me._"

Kate handed the feather to Keith who held it before Entei, warily watching still and ready to send his Buizel to attack the beast. There was a flash of light that filled the cave and two things happened.

One; The feather turned a blood red color, reminiscent of Keith's hair, and floated into the air, glowing again.

Two; A small crystal ball, reddish brown in color with small swirls of darker brown, appeared before Kate's face, and the familiar forgetting feeling returned. Kate felt the depressing thoughts of the dream with Sven disappear, leaving her with a much clearer mind. She could think things through tonight, before they left to face their next opponent the next day. Perhaps she'd tell Keith what she knew… and what she suspected.

---

Thoughts whirled around her head as she listened to Keith's uneasy breathing. He was asleep, but not very much so. She felt guilty, knowing he was getting less sleep because of her. Kate shifted slightly, waited for Keith's breathing to even out a bit, and then sat up and crawled away from him, over to her own corner. There, she hesitantly closed her eyes and began meditating.

The darkness around her came seamlessly, and soon she found herself stepping into the darkest part of her mind, figuratively. She felt her body relax into the pose subconsciously as she fell asleep.

_The Dark-Kate was waiting in her chains, with Darkrai floating beside her. Kate wasn't sure whether or not to be afraid of the Pokemon anymore. Her suspicions were plain on her face and she knew it._

_"Don't be afraid. You have nothing to fear of Darkrai." The Dark-Kate said softly, nodding to the motionless Pokemon. Kate shifted her gaze to the chains._

_"Why are you chained…" she whispered, the sound being lost to the folds of black. She raised her voice to ask a second question, knowing that the Dark-Kate would only answer her first in a riddle anyway. "You said Darkrai is on our side."_

_"So he is." The Dark-Kate smiled, "He's the messenger, if you will. He keeps out of the conflict as well as he can, and serves his purpose by keeping you and Keith informed on the events as they happen. The big bad boss man only attacks people at night. Darkrai projects their minds and yours into the dark realm so you can hear their distress."_

_"And they know that I'm fighting for them." Kate realized, pausing to look at Darkrai again, "Okay, so he's helping us. But then why did he send me dreams of my family and friends being killed?" she hadn't forgotten about the dark dagger through her sister's chest._

_"Darkrai knows what will happen to them if you fail." The Dark-Kate responded solemnly, "It's motivation for you." She looked again to the motionless figure who was simply staring at Kate. "Remember, Kate." Her doppelganger said softly, "Remember the pain you heard your first time in this place. Remember the horror of a thousand nightmares being lived again and again in the same instant."_

_Her eyes widened as she heard the screaming, the screaming she had pushed down so fiercely to shield herself from its pain. She dropped to her knees and shoved her hands over her ears._

_"Feel the distress, and endure it." Her twin said softly again, "If you can't face this, you can't face anything that lies ahead of you. If you fail here, you won't succeed later."_

_The voices were loud, but the soft voice cut through them all. She remembered the tone of voice… it was the same tone her mother used before when she had broken her arm at age 7 and wanted to give up. She felt the same pain in her arm as her mother's voice filled her head._

"Kate, can you imagine what other people, what Pokemon may be going through right now? "

_Those words… the words she had made sure she never forgot…_

"If everyone were to give up the first time they got hurt, who would help those who were in pain?"

_"Who would help those who were in pain…?" she whispered, opening her eyes and lowering her hands. "If I'm in pain from these memories, I can hardly imagine what others… what Little Sis and Isaac and Melody and everyone who's been captured… what they're going through…" she forced herself to stand and looked upward, making herself listen to the screams and cries._

If you fail here, you won't succeed later. _The words that her lookalike had said… if she couldn't endure, she couldn't help._

_"Thank you." She finally spoke as the screams and cries of those caught in the chaos died away, but the memory of their pain remained, "I don't think… I could have gotten this far without your help."_

_"You're helping yourself." The Dark-Kate grinned, "Now, break the bonds."_

_Kate frowned solemnly, "Not yet. I can't break this connection. If I break the bonds, I lose the messenger." She smiled, "I'll break them when this is all finished. Till then, just hang around."_

_"Not like I can do much else." Not-So-Dark-After-All-Kate smirked and raised her hands, showing her limited movement. The smile faded as she looked to Darkrai, "Darkrai, we're done for tonight. It's almost morning."_

_Darkrai nodded once before there was a flash._

Kate opened her eyes after the flash and looked around, rubbing her eyes.

"Wow…" she muttered, "I feel… refreshed." She smiled slightly before looking over to Keith, who was still asleep. "First time I didn't wake him up too. Full night's sleep, what a relief."

She stretched and tossed out one of her Partner Poke balls, letting out Cranidos before nudging Pachirisu awake inside her jacket. "Hey you two, what say we go find food for mister sleep till noon?" The pokemon were excited about this idea as the last time they had eaten was the morning before, at the Pokemon Center. Kate smiled and led them out into the burned field to search for food.

She smiled as she saw the sun, a familiar smile that had eluded her for so long. Things were going to work out, she just knew it. And nothing was going to bring her down today.

* * *

**A/N: Yeah... totally stole from Pokemon Mystery Dungeon Red/Blue Rescue Team... which is not mine. I own the game but I have no rights to profit unless I sell my game, which I can't do since it's one of the only Two Pokemon games I have (Three guesses which is the other one, and the first two don't count xD).**

**I bet everyone has little ideas about what's gonna happen next. That last line is so easy to abuse. -abuseabuseabuse- See?**

**So I really have to thank phantomdare1 for -has to count- EIGHT lovely reviews, which convinced me to actually sit down and push myself past the stupid writers block I faced. Next chapter will be an inside look at the 'studio' and not an actual chapter. Sorry. Thought you'd like to see the insanity instead of angst for a bit. -is being crushed by angst blocks as I type- I know I need a break from it! So next chapter is COMPLETE AND UDDER INSANITY. AKA Comic Relief. xD**

**Kate: WHAT?! You never said we'd have to do a Behind the Scenes segment!**

**Keith: (whining) Do we have toooooo?**

**Me: YES! YES YOU DO. AND THERE WILL BE FLUFF.**

**Kate: O.O**

**Keith: O.O**

**Both: O/////O**

**Me: xP  
**


	12. BEHIND THE SCENES INSANITY

**THE CHAOS HAS COMMENTARY xD Things in parentheses are my commentary AFTER the fact. Just be aware, some things aren't going to be pretty.**

(**What follows this right here's a title; not exactly my usual fare, huh? Soooo see how the chaos goes.**)

A camera flickered to life and showed a gigantic cardboard sign as a backdrop, which reads "_Insanity Productions_". The camera shifts a bit as someone behind it coughs, and then turns the camera around, revealing a blond girl grinning.

(**Before any assumptions are made, that is not me; I am not blond though I sometimes act that way. That is my Best Friend Foreverrrr, Ashlynn, who has been kind enough to be the camera person. Also, we do not TECHNICALLY have the right to use the name Insanity Productions, but hey, it's all insanity as far as we're concerned, so please, no suing us.**)

"Hello, people of the internet! I'm Ashlynn, the faithful…" (**Ha-ha, pun.**) "Best friend of your favorite Authoress, whose name shall for now remain secret and we shall refer to her as…" she paused, "Wait, Tina, WHAT am I supposed to call you?" (**Yes, she's very evil at times.**)

"Well, damn." A brown haired girl (**Me**) shifted her glasses as she frowned, "You kinda gave away my name, Ash. But ANYWAY! Changing the subject, HI my loyal readers!" (**Jeez, I'm ridiculously dorky today. I'm writing in third person for Pete's sake.**) The girl rubbed the back of her head anxiously, grinning, "It's been awhile since I actually wrote something where I'm in front of the camera, so, um. Be prepared for some nervousness, a little… umm, anxious word choice…" (**In layman's terms, cursing.**) "And I guess a whole lot of insanity."

"Loosen up; you're taking that speech class aren't you?" Ashlynn called from behind the camera, making the brown haired girl grin anxiously again, before making herself loosen up, "You're not going to want to be tense when you find out just what's behind the sign." Tina tensed up again, "What?" Ashlynn calls, "Tina, you can't really expect this to go smoothly."

(**I never did, Ash. I knew this would be chaos and that is why I was so tense, thank you.**)

"Goddamnit…" Tina frowns again, "I'm almost afraid to look. Well, here goes nothing." She pulled the sign down and was promptly tackled by an airborne Pachirisu. "Gack!" she went sprawling to the floor, her face going red in annoyance, "KATE! I told you to put all your partners outside!"

"You should have told us about this little behind the scenes excursion, maybe I'd be more inclined to listen to you then!"

"I'M THE DIRECTOR HERE AND I SAY PACHI GOES OUTSIDE!" Tina yelled as she dropped the little electric squirrel out of one of the doors. Ashlynn pans a look around the room momentarily to show Keith sitting on a futon with a mild grin on his face, looking amused. There is a computer with a half written script on it, giving the semblance of an office, for indeed it is.

Tina waves her hand in front of the camera, "Yoo hoo, over here, Ashlynn, the camera?"

"Fine, fine." Ashlynn said, obviously enjoying herself. "Let's just get this thing started, shall we? Things will go _smoothly_ after that."

(**Damn her and her behind-the-camera suggestions that suggest that things will go as_ she_ plans. _Damn them_.**)

"Yeah, yeah, let's follow Blondie's advice and get this over with." Kate flopped on the couch next to Keith. Tina frowned momentarily before sighing and rubbing the back of her neck, "Okay. Behind the scenes usually includes… bloopers… a tour of the studio… commentaries from the characters… But we're going to have all that and fluff."

"Damn, I hoped she was kidding about the fluff."

"Well I wasn't." Tina glared at Kate, "And you're pretty much screwed in that market, coz GUESS WHO has the power to change everything you say and do?"

"NO! NOT THE COMPUTER!"

Tina plopped into the seat by the computer and typed in three simple words: "Kate stopped midair."

Suddenly Kate was in the air, halfway through the jump that Tina had anticipated.

(**I win.**)

Tina started humming to herself as she typed, grinning victoriously, as Kate flew back onto the couch and lay there in anger, unable to move.

"Okay, let's start with bloopers. I've got some stuff on my computer that we can video tape now."

"Ah great, the bloopers."

"Joy."

"Sarcasm noted, you two." Tina called over her shoulder, "That adds up to three minutes more forced fluff."

"Fuck!"

"Oh," Tina called over her shoulder as she pulled up videos, "Please feel free to."

The camera swung around to see the two shocked faces quickly grow red as tomatoes. Keith's jaw hung down. Kate slowly grew mad.

Ashlynn was laughing loudly, so loudly that the camera shook. The camera panned back to Tina smirking again, her eyes sparkling.

(**They WALKED RIGHT INTO that one. xD I rule here.**)

Tina pulled the attention back to her by clicking a link to a video on her computer, opening it up and pulling Ashlynn to focus on the screen.

_"Okay, everyone, Chapter 1, Nightmares, Scene 3, That Afternoon, Take 1, and… ACTION!"_

_"TEYA!" the young girl ran up to the teenager who was directing, in no particular order, a Chimchar, a Munchlax, a Starly, a Kricketot, a Machop, and a Cranidos while a Pachirisu sat on her shoulder with its tail curled around her neck._

_"Wait, Melody, slow down!"_

_The blond crashed into the teenager, sending them both flying off the set. Laughter rang out from several areas behind the camera._

_"Shut up, you… you…!" Kate yelled as her face went red. Melody giggled embarrassedly. _

_"Sorry 'bout that." She said as she laughed, rubbing the back of her neck as she stood and giggled. "Can we try that again?"_

_"Yeah, sure, Melody. Just try not to slam INTO Kate." Melody nodded. "Okay, let's try that again, places!" Melody walked off the set to stand where she was supposed to start running from. Kate walked back to the spot where she had been standing. "Take 2, and… ACTION."_

_"Ah…ACHOO!" Kate sneezed suddenly. "Oops."_

_"Ugh."_

"Oh right, I almost forgot about that little scene… What did it take; fifteen takes?" Keith asked curiously, looking at Kate who grunted out the correct answer.

"Seventeen."

Tina smiled, "That was a fun scene at first. Very funny bloopers."

(**By the way, Melody slammed into Kate several times on the seventeen takes we had to take. She couldn't slow herself down.**)

"Next." Tina clicked on another video.

_"Alright! Chapter 3, Kanto Region; Scene 4, Nightmare; Take three. And, ACTION!"_

_She saw her little sister again, still bleeding horribly from the hole in her chest, staring at her in agony._

_"Big Sister, why couldn't you save me?" Little Sis asked quietly, "Why did you let him do this to me?" she reached out a bloody hand, "Why couldn't you fight the darkness that is growing in your heart?"_

_'_Fight… the darkness…_' Kate wrestled with the black ropes holding her back, bit at the dark gag that prevented her from speaking, and reached out a restrained hand to try and touch her sister's pale face…_

_The ropes painted with black paint snapped, and Kate, off balance, fell forward, slamming to the floor and spitting off the gag, "OW!"_

Ashlynn burst out laughing, "I remember that. The first two takes were perfect but the camera was malfunctioning, and it took twenty minutes to figure out what the hell was wrong. Then the ropes snapped and Kate wouldn't try again for another five minutes."

(**She was a little bit of a bitch for that scene… She didn't like the fact that she had done it twice perfectly and then suddenly she messed up when the camera had finally been able to work.**)

"Yes, let's make fun of me, why don't we?" Kate grumbled, "We all know that since I'm the main focus of the story, I'm the one you need to make fun of!" she added sarcastically.

Keith chuckled, "Calm down, Kate."

(**Me sense blackmail. More fluff for you.**)

"Next one was… Chapter Four, Scene One, I think."

"Yeah, the one where the Oddish…"

"Shh!"

_"Hello?" she called out, knocking on the door again, "Professor Oak, if you're here, the Ranger Union called and warned you we were on our way?" She glanced back at Keith, "They… did call him, right?" She raised an eyebrow questioningly at him as he started laughing._

_The door opened and a gray haired, middle-aged man appeared with an Oddish clinging to his head. Kate took one look at the Oddish and the distressed look on the man's face before giggling. "Are you… having some problems with that Oddish?" she choked out between giggles, "Or does it just like you that much?"_

_The Oddish jumped off the Professor's head and tackled Keith, dancing on him after he fell to the ground dazed. Keith frowned at the Oddish, then looked up at Professor Oak, "I thought you said he was trained!"_

_A snicker came from behind the camera, "Take two then?"_

_"Take two." Tina's voice said in amusement, "Let's do it people."_

Keith was frowning now, and Kate looked a little more satisfied.

"Okay, so now you have some ideas of what happens in the bloopers." Tina grinned.

(**Actually, there were several other occasions… Pachi zapping Keith instead of Moltres on one occasion, Munchlax trying to eat Kate's pigtails because Keith squirted berry juice on them… We had a lot of issues xD**)

"Now, let's move on to commentaries, 'cause our 'studio' sucks and consists of only the back office in my house." Tina looked toward Keith, "Keith, since Kate is apparently PMSing…" she got a nasty look from Kate at this, "could you tell us what you think of productions so far?"

"I could, but Kate would murder me."

"Going good, then?"

"…Yeah. We're a lot further on than I thought we were going to be when we started, considering this story is the one that is closest to the end of all your stories. Just the fact that you say you have an ending in mind is comforting…"

"Well, good to know, because we're closer to the end than ever in the planning process. The main issue I'm going through right now is some of the last details." Tina shrugged. "What about you, Ms. PMS?"

"Don't call me that." Kate snarled, "And personally, the sooner we finish this torture the better. I want to get back to my life, please."

Ashlynn called, "You have a life right now." She pointed out.

"Yeah, a life that consists of saying lines and dealing with mistakes, then sleeping in a closet…"

"Better accommodations than some of the other characters are getting, by the way." Tina said to the camera. "Sven and Wendy are hanging out under my bed, Isaac and Melody are hidden behind the couch… my parents can't exactly know about them all." She rubbed the back of her neck anxiously, "Anyway, I do believe it's time for the final and most anticipated portion of this little behind the scene segment."

"Fuck…"

"Please."

"Will you stop doing that!?"

"Will you stop walking right into it?" Tina asked in all seriousness as she picked up a piece of paper, "Just say the lines."

Kate's eyes scanned the document quickly before she groaned, "You have GOT to be kidding."

Keith read over her shoulder and winced as he read some of the parts, "That would be so embarrassing… We're sixteen, not ten…"

Tina whispered to the camera and Ashlynn, "Be sure to pay attention to them…" before she raised her voice slightly, "Can't be any more embarrassing as what you're going to see when you look up."

Kate turned her face to look at Keith, only to find his face an inch away from hers. She shrieked and fell backward, Keith losing balance and falling on top of her.

"You did that on purpose!" Kate yelled.

"Duh."

Keith's face was tomato red again, and he was stuttering as he tried to say "I'm sorry". He pushed himself up and looked away.

"Fluff." Tina smirked, "Easy to make happen." She frowned again, "Now say the lines, or I swear; I'm making the ending of the story so fluff-tastic that you'll puke of the cuteness."

(**It's gonna be that way anyway. ^.^**)

"Damn." Kate sighed, "Okay…" she looked at the script again, "Keith, I wonder why you're still around, sometimes. Why have you stuck around when all I'm doing is pulling you down with me?"

Keith read his line, "Uhh… If I don't help you, then you'll only sink faster into the pit of despair you're making for yourself…"

"But you're being tugged down too!"

"But I'm trying to keep you from sinking too far down, so that when help does come, they can help us both. I'm not abandoning you, Kate. I care about you too much."

"Thank you… for everything."

"No problem, just know that I'm always here. And when we get through this adventure and back to Almia, I promise you I'll help you forget all the horrors we faced here."

"Maybe not all of them. If we forgot what happened out here in Kanto… we'd forget some of the worthwhile times… and I don't want to forget about those."

"Me neither, Kate. Me neither."

Tina clapped, "See, that wasn't so hard, was it?"

(**That scene is so going in sometime in the future.**)

"I think I'm gonna puke." Kate muttered, "Too… much… cuteness."

"Eh, I kind of liked it." Keith shrugged, "A lot of feeling, I think." He glanced at Kate, who was deep in thought now.

"Eh, maybe. As long as we don't have to do so much again."

"Just take in the experience and the feelings, and let's call it a day."

"You mean we're done?"

"Done as steak." Tina smirked. "Well done, actually."

"Thanks."

Tina smiled, before looking at the camera, "Well, that was our behind the scenes look at Pokemon Ranger, Out of the Darkness. I hope you enjoyed the insanity. Insanity Productions, out!"

(**Once more, we don't technically own Insanity Productions. Please, don't sue us.**)

"And remember," Ashlynn said as she swung the camera around to point at her, "Crack is bad, unless it's a crack pairing."

"AMEN to that!" Tina laughed.

(**And that's that. See you next time on, "Pokemon Ranger, Out of the Darkness" Chapter Eleven, Raikou!**)

**---**

**AND THERE WE HAVE IT.**

**The insanity has been recorded. I hope you enjoyed seeing the kinds of things I have to put up with these days. **

**Kate: . -still PMSing and still thinks that they should have been warned-**

**Keith: ^.^; -shrugs in an unsure manner, before waving bye.-  
**


	13. Chapter Eleven: Raikou

She sat there in the charred field that surrounded Entei's cave, looking up at the sky and once again just feeling the wind blowing past her shoulders. Keith was out looking for their breakfast with her Munchlax, Machop, and Cranidos and his Buizel, and she was free to relax. She checked the burn she had gotten from Moltres, just an unbelievable week before. It was healing up nicely enough, but it still stung when she touched it. A cold wind passed her and she shivered.

"If it keeps getting colder, we might need new cloaks or something… definitely have to discuss that with Keith…" she tugged her ranger jacket closer around her, shivering slightly, "Pachi, want to warm up?" she asked the little electric squirrel that was almost always with her. The little squirrel type crawled into her jacket and chattered happily as per usual, while she mused over little mysteries that were bugging her.

'_Rhythmi called earlier to tell us basically the same thing as last time. No progress in analyzing that little black hair… hmmm. Black hair? Wasn't that freak that dragged me up to Altru before this disaster a black haired dude? And why do I have a strange feeling I know exactly who he is…_' she sighed, '_He's definitely not Blake Hall, we took care of him and he's in a correctional facility in Fiore… I don't think it could be Ice or anyone of the Sinis-Trio. Definitely not Lavana… Ugh, her dyeing that bubblegum hair is amusing to imagine. Besides, I bet mister "cool-nerd" Ice wouldn't like it. I bet they're officially dating by now in that Fiore correctional facility. Heath… he's just an idiot; he couldn't manage something as bad as this. Besides… the voice that guy had was annoyingly familiar…_'

She continued musing as Keith wandered back with his arms and the arms of the four pokemon he had captured loaded with different provisions and a few Pidgeots and Fearows following him.

"Caught some rides."

"There are a few more than we need, Keith." She noted blandly, nodding to the two extra birds, which she had figured was either a joke or more for later.

"To carry our supplies." He shrugged, "You doing okay?"

"Fine." She paused, "Think we might need cloaks or something though. Winters coming on rather fast."

"If you say so," he helped her up, noting that she seemed more thoughtful than usual, "What're you thinking about?"

"How much I _lurve _you." She answered sarcastically, rolling her eyes. Pachirisu chattered at this, and she snorted, "Pachi, I was being sarcastic." Chatter. "No really, sarcasm. It's a beautiful thing; you should learn about it, you little mouse." Pachi sparked in annoyance at this. "Okay, okay, _electric _mouse."

Keith chuckled, "Kate, you realize you're arguing with something that can't really argue back." Pachi turned its annoyed stare at him before chattering to Kate again.

"Please, help yourself." She smirked, and Pachi jumped off her shoulder and shocked Keith. Keith complained, and Kate ignored him, and all was right with the world.

--

They got a call from a panicking Rhythmi that told them that Wendy had disappeared. Kate had yelled. Keith had protested. Kate had declared it was impossible as she hadn't had a nightmare about it. And Erma had been put on the line to confirm the disappearance.

Kate was simmering as she flew behind Keith on the Pidgeot, the wind no longer a familiar caress but a chilling slap across the face. She was sulking over not knowing about Wendy, and as she thought of who could be next, she realized that there were very few people who were close enough to be some of the last strikes against her. She wondered why they were being taken.

'_Is it just to distract me and make me miserable? Or is there something worse planned for them?_' She shivered as she flew behind Keith, knowing with some certainty that he would be a high target for the enemy, since he was really the only one who was keeping her sane at the time. She flew up next to him and looked at him as he stared forward, lost in his thoughts as she had been so many times in their journey. She swallowed at the thought of losing him.

'_Face it,_' a snide little voice told her in her mind, '_You like him more than you care to admit._' She couldn't deny the little voice's claim, so she stayed silent, even mentally. '_He's your tether, the only thing that's keeping you going on this mission. If you lose him, you lose everything. Face it, Kate. You love him!_'

'_Be quiet._' Kate thought miserably, knowing that snide little voice was telling the truth. She didn't know when she had stopped seeing Keith as the brother who wanted her happy and started seeing him as the friend who wanted her happy, and then as the boy she loved who wanted her happy. She didn't know how he felt but she knew with certainty that the voice in her head was right, she did love him.

'_He's always been there to help me, he always holds me close after the nightmares, and he tells me often how he wishes I didn't have to go through this…_'

"Keith?" she asked quietly, staring at her Pidgeot's feathers.

"Hm?" Keith responded, not looking over at her. She glanced up at him and frowned, swallowing before pushing forward.

"I wonder… why you're still here… sometimes…. Why have you stuck around… when all I'm doing is… pulling you down with me?" Her voice was small at the end, and she knew that she sounded weak. She saw him look over, looking at her in surprise.

"Do you want me to abandon you?" he asked her just as quietly, frowning. She shook her head. "Kate, if I didn't help you right now, then you'd only sink faster into the pit of despair you're making for yourself. I can't handle that. I want to help you, I _need _to help you."

"But Keith, you're being put at a huge risk… I'm only dragging you down with me… It'd be bad enough if you were hurt because you're my friend, if you were hurt even worse because you were helping me…" She closed her eyes and her lip shook, "I don't know what I'd do."

"I'm trying to keep you from sinking too far down, so that when help does come, they can help us both. I'm not abandoning you, Kate. I care about you too much." He reached over to pat her shoulder, resting his hand there with a slightly more confident smile, "Besides, I won't let either of us get hurt. And if we do, I'll make sure I'm the one who takes the most damage, but I'll be sure to keep myself going."

"Keith… thanks." She looked down at the Pidgeot again, a small uneasy smile tugging at her mouth, "If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have gotten this far. So thanks… for everything."

Keith smiled at her and turned back around again, "After this is over, I'm taking a vacation."

"Agreed." Kate chuckled. "I'll head off with you."

Keith grinned widely, "I'd like that."

And they were quiet for a time, both staring out at the horizon and wondering what they'd be doing for the next battle. Kate started messing with her browser as they descended into one of the other fields she had noted before facing Entei. Two entries followed it that had silhouettes of Pokemon that looked sort of like Entei, so she figured it was two more.

The field they landed in was half dead, as if a thunderstorm had just desecrated everything with lightning, and Keith helped her unload the two extra birds that were carrying supplies. He looked around, "Hey, there's a small town over that way." He pointed out the town, "Must be a Pokemon Center there." He grinned at her when she smiled.

"First let's find this Pokemon." Kate said quietly, "Then we can head into town for a place to stay and such."

---

"_So_." The pokemon looked at them, not doing anything as it spoke, "_You are here to challenge me._"

"Yep, we are. And we're going to win too." Kate responded, "Wendy's counting on us for this battle." She clicked a button on her styler, her eyes sharp. The Capture disc jumped free of its compartment and rested next to her foot, and she exhaled, "So let's skip all the banter and just get to the challenging." She leaned back slightly, sensing more than seeing Keith let out his capture disc.

"_Yes, let's._" the large yellow dog growled, leaping toward them. Kate leaped to the side, Keith following her a second later. The Capture discs flashed and the battle was on.

--

They had retreated to the Pokemon center, new cloaks packed with their other supplies. With any luck, the cloaks would serve them well.

Kate looked down at the shimmering red and gold feather, and the stormy blue with bright yellow swirls stone. They had won against Raikou, but found out that he, like the rest of the Pokemon they had faced, wasn't the Pokemon they had been searching for. She sighed, "I'm starting to think this is just a wild Swablu chase with no Swablu at the end of it."

Keith huffed. "We'll figure this out, Kate. Just give it time."

"We're running out of time!" she snapped, her breath coming quick. "Who knows what's going on in Almia? More attacks, more disappearances? Keith, we may not have the time we think we have. We need to find this Pokemon."

"Are we even sure it's a pokemon we need?"

"Keith…" Kate whispered brokenly, "I can't do this. I just can't do this anymore."

Keith placed a hand on her shoulder, "One more. If we turn up with no leads on that one, we go back to Almia and… and do what we can there. We can capture Darkrai and make him stop, Kate… together."

"It isn't Darkrai."

Keith's eyes widened when Kate said this. Kate continued speaking, her voice low and her tone dead, "Darkrai… isn't taking them… he's just the messenger. Whoever's taking them… is trying to make me give up. And they're really close to doing it, Keith. I just can't take it anymore. The next person to disappear… who knows. It might even be you. And if you disappear…" she took a ragged breath, "I couldn't make it. I would never be able to do it."

Keith knelt down next to her and put his arms around her shoulders, holding her close, "We're close, Kate. I can feel it. I know the answer's right _there_. We're just not seeing it yet… I'm not going to disappear if I can help it; we're so far along that it would be a waste. I'm not leaving you, Kate. I…"

Kate looked up and sniffled, her eyes full of tears as she locked them on his.

Keith swallowed. _Now or never,_ he told himself. "I…"

_BEEP, BEEP, BEEP._

"GOD_DAMNIT_ RHYTHMI!" he hollered, throwing his hands up in the air. He stalked out of the room.

"_Jeez, what's his problem?_" Rhythmi asked slowly, her eyes confused. Kate blinked for a second, "Hey, uh, Rhyth, any way I can ask you not to call us for about fifteen minutes?"

"_Why?_"

"Something I gotta do."

"_Okay, I was just checking in anyway. The blasted black hair is still confusing Nate. It's the contamination that has him confused._"

"Con… contam…" Kate's eyes widened even more. "You said the hair was stiff with the stuff, right?"

"_Yeah…_"

"That's what it is then…"

"_Kate, what are you…_"

"He's been behind it… all along. He just… dyed his hair."

"_Who?! Who, Kate?!_"

"Gotta go." Kate snapped the screen shut and pushed herself up, dashing after Keith. "KEITH! Wait up! I think I know…"

Keith was right in front of her, holding her shoulders, a determined look on his face. He pulled her closer and planted his lips on hers. Her heart skipped a beat. He pulled away, "Let Rhythmi interrupt _that_," he huffed, "You have no idea how long I've wanted to tell you this, Kate. I think I love you. You drive me insane. I hurt when you cry, I feel wonderful when you smile. Please, smile for me."

Kate blinked, touching her lips softly. Her breathing hitched and she felt herself smiling. She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him back. When she pulled away, he grinned stupidly.

"Damn." He murmured, "That was WAY better than a smile."

Kate let out a giggle, and she hugged him close again. He felt amazing, and she savored his smell for a moment before muttering, "I think I know who's behind this. And what direction we should go in. We face Suicune tomorrow, and after that, wherever this," she held up the feather, "leads us."

Keith smiled back at her, holding her close to him. "We're close, Kate. I can feel it."

"I can feel it too."

--

The crystal was weakening in power. He could tell it was. The luminosity was going away and the darkness was returning to the center of the crystal. He smirked as he held the Yellow Gem in his hand, feeling the first twinges of victory. He was so close.

"Sir." A soldier called as he walked toward him, "We have captured the Flying Ranger."

"Put her with the others. And use that Drowzee that we took from the insane person to put her to sleep like the rest."

Wendy's eyes widened as she recognized the voice of the person in front of her. "You!" she hissed, "It was you who was behind this?"

"Of course." He smirked, "Who else could it be? Blake Hall? Not even he could weaken the crystal once it was fused with the other three. But look at what I've done." He held up the Yellow Gem, "In less than three days, Almia will be plunged into Darkness. Not even your precious Kate can stop me."

"SHE'S STRONGER THAN YOU THINK!" Wendy yelled as she was dragged off toward a pile of people sleeping so soundly that they didn't move. She recognized them as the disappearances. A Drowzee used hypnosis on her and she felt her eyes becoming heavy. She was thrown next to Sven, asleep before she hit the ground.

"You three," He directed toward three soldiers who were waiting for orders, "Find the Sinis-Trio. And You." The young recruit perked up, "Capture the next target. Once the Crystal is mine, Darkrai will have no choice but to aid me in the last steps.

"Yes sir!" the four recruits called before retreating away.

Yes. He was so close he could taste victory.

--

"_You're running out of time."_

"_How long do we have left?"_

"_Less than three days."_

"_We'll be back by then. I promise."_

_--_

'_Just a few more..._' Keith thought as he caught another bird pokemon, his new cloak around his shoulders. With any luck, Suicune would lead them directly to their final pokemon. Two more legendaries and they could head home. He glanced over at Kate and smiled, "Two more, Kate..." he whispered, "Two more and this is all over."

--

**A/N: WHEW. That took forever to get finished. I had it half done, then my parents computer pretty much said, "SCREW YOU ALL" and died on everyone. We had to get a New hard drive for it and then there was a total issue with the backup not wanting to work and I was afraid that I'd lose all my progress and UGH. So forgive me for the long as -BEEP- wait. I have an excuse. **

**I also have a poll.**

**And a forum.**

**Check them out after you review, would you?**


	14. Chapter Twelve: Suicune

Another nightmare…? _She thought calmly as she looked around the blackness, "Who was taken this time?" she asked softly, waiting to hear the voice._

_"As you already know, it was Wendy." Her reflection said in the same voice. She looked much better than she had in the beginning, less gaunt, less battered, less broken. She looked stronger, and if it weren't for the chains of blackness still holding her captive, Kate would have thought she was looking in a mirror. "I'm sorry we didn't tell you last night. The ah… meeting with you ran longer than we thought it would and we didn't have time to tell you."_

_"It's okay. I've gotten over it. Any idea what's really going on?" _

_The chained Kate bit her lip, "There are going to be at least two more disappearance plans to come. They'll be really close to you. Other than that… well…"_

_"What?"_

_"He's striking at the Luminous Crystal."_

_The words made her heart stop for a moment, "…that bastard."_

_"I know. That's why you don't have much time left. You need to hurry, Kate."_

_"…I know." Her gaze was lowered as she spoke softly, fear clenching her chest. "If we don't…"_

_The implications of what could happen if they failed flashed into her mind, just the same as they had when she had first made her way up to Altru tower so long ago. If they failed, Almia would pay the price… maybe even the world this time. _

--

Her eyes opened with tears in them, and she looked up at the sky. Her breath was shaky for an odd reason as she felt an odd sort of anticipation growing in her chest. She didn't like it one bit. It felt like it had when she had seen Keith flying off the tower. Her arm shook as she pushed herself to her feet still with her gaze on the stars. Where was it…

Orion looked down at her when she could finally find it, her favorite constellation of the bunch. The Warrior. Strong and valiant, courageous and great. She always liked the warrior, and what it stood for. Protection and strength were things she had needed a lot along her Pokemon Ranger journey. And since she felt stronger whenever she looked at Orion, she had the tendency to look at it whenever she could.

"We're so close." She murmured, looking up at the constellation as she thought, "Two more pokemon, I think." She sighed, "Hang on everyone, we're almost there."

--

He looked over the shadowed form of Almia, embracing the darkness that hung low and caressed the landscape around him. It was truly a miracle that no one had thought to check on the Luminous Crystal yet.

A miracle that he was counting on for these last few days; he needed more power to dislodge the other two gems than he had thought. It had taken twenty of the recruits' rather seasoned pokemon to remove just the yellow gem, and as if taking the strain more seriously, the other two gems refused to be knocked away the same way.

He gave a small evil smile. He was going to win. He was actually going to win. Then he could dye his hair back to its original color and reveal his true face as the face that had taken over Almia.

Almia would be the start, he thought gleefully. Then he'd take over the other regions, one by one, and rule the world from Altru Tower.

It was the thought that drove him to be careful these last few days. He didn't want to lose it all within the last steps.

The next target would hopefully convince Kate to give up her endeavors to stop him… and if not…

He smirked at his Gliscor and the Gengar he had taken control of. If she was so foolish to try and stop him up here, he was ready.

--

Keith woke up with a yawn and a stretch as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, making himself wake while Buizel stood next to him. A chuckle from off to his left seemed to signal Buizel to water gun his face, and the last traces of sleep disappeared.

He wiped his face and glared weakly at his Buizel, before crawling out of the cave and catching sight of Kate. "Hey." He called to her, walking over to sit by her. She glanced at him and smiled slightly, leaning against his side and laying her head against his shoulder. He leaned his head against hers and they sat there in silence, watching the rose-red sunrise together.

--

Kate glanced down at the red and yellow feather she held in her hand, an uneasy feeling sitting in the pit of her stomach. She was going to face the next pokemon within ten minutes, and she was starting to chicken out. That wasn't right. She couldn't chicken out now.

She took a deep breath, steeling herself before striding into the third cave they had found, this one more possible than the last two they had searched on the field. If it wasn't this cave, she was willing to bet it was the next cave.

Of course, she had said that about the first cave. Hmm.

Keith was following behind her a few feet, his Styler ready in case something needed to be caught. Pachirisu shifted on her shoulder, chattering softly as it looked around. She absently reached up to scratch its ears to calm it down. If she was right… if her messenger was right… she had two more chances before things went sour in Almia. Two more chances that she hoped didn't dwindle to one too soon.

She peeked around the corner of the cave and sighed, "Dead end." She called back to Keith. "I was so sure about this one too…"

A cold wind rushed into the cave and she closed her eyes tightly, shivering. She was forced forward a step with the strength of the wind.

"_Why have you come here?_"

The loud voice rang out with a cold, clear efficiency that made both Kate and Keith shiver. Keith grabbed hold of her hand and she looked gratefully at him before taking a deep breath to calm her nerves.

"We've come here hoping for some form of help." She replied calmly to the blue dog. It was only then that she realized it looked like it had ribbons coming out of its butt.

She heard Keith take a quick breath of air as he realized this little detail, and she stepped on his foot, carefully looking away. Keith quickly got a hold of himself.

The blue dog nodded, "_Explain._" It encouraged her, looking interested. "_You have the look of one steeped in their own darkness. If you call for help, you must specify._"

"I am trapped in my own darkness, or however you said it. I've been like that for over a year." She paused, tugging the long cloak that she had resting on her shoulders closer as the wind passed through again, fighting a shiver, "I hoped you could help explain this." She held out the feather. "I know you're probably not the pokemon we're looking for… but this was our only lead, and… Entei and Raikou made it like this, so we figured, maybe you were the next logical step?"

"_Did I ask you to ask me questions, or did I ask you to explain?_" Suicune asked in an amused tone of voice. He turned toward Keith, "_And your wish, in this quest?_"

"I only want to help Kate." Keith responded confidently, his eyes locked on those of Suicune. "In any way that I can."

"_Your courage shines through._" Suicune noted absently looking between the two, "_Very well. Prove yourself and I will explain._"

Kate rested her hand on the release button for her Styler, but was stopped when Suicune made a low growling noise.

"_Only the boy._"

Kate, who slowly stepped back a few feet to let him forward, mirrored Keith's surprised stare. Suicune looked at her solemnly before turning his gaze on Keith.

"_You want to protect her. You want to help her. Prove yourself._"

Keith glanced back at Kate before his face set in a determined grin, and he winked at her, "I'll take care of it."

"I hope you will." Kate smiled slightly, "But remember, it won't matter to me in the least if you lose or not. Just don't get yourself killed."

"I'll try." Keith nodded with a grin, before stepping forward to take on Suicune.

--

Far away from them, in Almia, a blond girl screamed as Pokemon attacked her.

--

"You…" Rhythmi whispered, "How… why?"

"How, why?" he taunted her condescendingly, his eyes gleaming, "I'll tell you how, and I'll tell you why, you little brat. Your little _friends_ are the only things that are threatening my plan. Their insignificant _quest_ may bear fruit, therefore, I must… _dissuade_ them from continuing. They've been annoyingly determined, despite the many… _disappearances_." He gestured around to the nine other captives, each sleeping peacefully around them. Rhythmi's eyes widened.

"Sven… Wendy… Barlow and his team… Melody and…" her voice hitched, "Isaac…"

"Yes." He smirked at her as her eyes filled with tears, "Each and every one of them here because of one thing… _They supported her._"

Rhythmi's gaze landed on the smaller dark blonde, whose pigtails were falling in her face. She had no doubt that if those eyes opened, then they would be the same ocean blue shade as Kate's.

She turned back toward the man in front of her, who she almost didn't recognize. "But… but why?!" she asked desperately, tugging against the grips of the two minions behind her, who were tugging her over to two Drowzees.

"You really think I'm going to reveal my plan? That's part of the reason all evil villains fail! They take the time to explain everything! That's also the reason you're told the story of a video game before you even start, it's a plot against the villains telling you exactly how to defeat them!"

Somewhere extremely far away, the fourth wall collapsed on the authoress writing this.

"You've turned into a horrible man." Rhythmi called as she struggled against the Hypnosis attack, "AND KATE KNOWS WHO YOU ARE!"

He smirked as she fell asleep. "Of course she knows who I am. She was a bright girl."

He turned away, walking toward the luminous crystal again.

"Even if she DID run in the hallways."

(**Okay, if you don't know who the villain is, you need therapy. And to go get a copy of Pokemon Ranger: Shadows of Almia. And to be beaten over the head with a wet noodle(which I will happily provide). And to go find another story, because really… how can you NOT know who it is?**)

--

"_You have done well._" Suicune intoned, bowing his head as Keith recalled his Styler. "_You have learned much on this journey. Do you think you could have captured me when you first began?_"

"No, honestly." Keith shook his head, "Now you promised you would explain, please."

"_Show me the feather._"

Kate held up the red and gold feather, letting it go as it started to glow again. It floated toward Suicune before flashing and shifting colors to add blue to the mix. Another flash followed.

The colors on the feather started shimmering together.

"_At dawn tomorrow, Stand facing the eastern sunrise, and look to the skies. Hold the Rainbow Wing,_" he indicated the multicolored feather, "_so that it shines in the sun. Then wait._"

Kate took hold of the feather again and frowned, "But…"

"_And take this as well. You have a small collection by now._" The pearly white crystal had swirls of blue and green on it, and it drifted into Kate's waiting hand. "_Their purpose will be revealed soon enough._"

Kate closed her fingers around the crystal and looked up when a strong wind whisked through the cave again. Suicune was gone.

"But you never explained!" She yelled in aggravation at the wall, making an echo. She SWORE she could hear chuckling behind the echo.

--

"_VOICEMAIL! Kate, if you're there, this is kind of huge!_"

"Linda?" Kate looked down at the terrified brunette staring at her from the screen, "Where… Where's Rhyth?"

"_She disappeared!_" Linda explained with a frantic cry, "_And the pokemon attacks are getting higher! We can't last much longer, Kate._"

"Two more days." Kate nodded, "One for one final pokemon battle, the other for getting back. And Linda…"

"_Yeah?_"

"If you can, get a message to Solana in Fiore. She was practically my idol back there… with my parents in Fiore, I'm hoping she'll deliver a message to them."

"_What's the message?_"

"Tell her to tell Mom… I'm getting Little Sis back. And also to tell dad that when they get back to Fiore, I expect him to make Vegetable stew."

"_Got it._" Linda paused, "_And Kate… when you get Sven and Wendy back, can you tell them they should just stop pretending that everyone doesn't see and that they should go out?_"

"Done. I was wondering when they'd date. If they haven't done it yet then they obviously need help."

--

_"You're almost done." Her mirror image smiled at her, "You know what you need to do. Now do it."_

_Kate nodded, closed her eyes in the dream, and concentrated._

_The black chains melted away from the dark-Kate, and she stepped forward to grab her hand. Standing back to back, she smiled slightly and exhaled._

_She felt the hand she gripped dissolving into her own hand, and a sense of wholeness washed over her. She looked at Darkrai, "We'll be back. See you the day after tomorrow."_

_Darkrai nodded solemnly toward her, and she smiled. _

_The scene disappeared in a flash of light._

And suddenly she was awake, looking out toward the pre-dawn grayness and knowing that just one more battle awaited them in Kanto, before they could go back to Almia.

* * *

**AN: WHEW! Okay. First of all. IF YOU DON'T GIVE ME AT LEAST _TWO_, I REPEAT _TWO_ REVIEWS FOR THIS CHAPTER I'M GOING TO BANG MY HEAD REPEATEDLY AGAINST SOMETHING HARD AND YOU PEOPLE WILL BE LEFT HERE. You have two days to give me two reviews. (And I'm being VERY EXTREMELY GENEROUS. I could say you have TWO HOURS. So Y'all BETTER REVIEW.)**

**I WANT TO BREAK A HUNDRED *BEEP*ING REVIEWS, DAMNIT!**

**So. Now that my little rant is over, Other things that are important.**

**Flaming Blizzard. I owe this chapter to you. Not only did you give me a GREAT conversation when last chapter was posted, but you also gave me the required AWESOMENESS to get my head back onto Pokemon Ranger and out of the AWESOMENESS of the Ice Age section, whose authors are amazing and JESUS CHRIST I was caught in a viscious cycle of awesomeness. So everyone, you are REQUIRED to flood Flaming Blizzard's PM inbox with thank you messages for this chapter. This is my decree.**

**Also...  
**

**SCHOOL IS STARTING IN TWO WEEKS. That means that not only will I not be here for a good chunk of the day, I'm only going to have the computer for three hours per weekday, seven per weekend (a rule that my parents are planning on enforcing RIDICULOUSLY.) and that sequel I told y'all about? Yeah, it'll be over the year if you're lucky. As long as LIFE doesn't butt its ugly mug into my face. I'M GOING TO TRY TO FINISH THIS BEFORE SCHOOL STARTS AGAIN, but no promises.**

**This means the last few chapters might be spread over... like, two months, at most. Because Sophmore year Equals CHAOS.**

**I think that about covers everything. YOU ALL BETTER REVIEW, READERS!  
**


	15. Chapter Thirteen: Ho oh!

_Don't worry yourself… Just… breathe…_

_Breathe._

_You can do this; you've done it countless times before. It's just another capture. Just like Tangrowth… just like Rampardos… just like Lucario, Heatran, and Cresselia. They were hard battles. But you still won them. Don't worry._

Kate's inner monologue was doing little to calm her, and she held up the feather at shoulder height until the rising sunlight was shining through it. It shimmered in an almost magical way, and she averted her gaze. The sun had just started rising; they probably had to wait a few minutes.

Keith was standing behind her, his hand on her shoulder. She could feel his anxiousness radiating off of him in waves. He was watching her, his brown eyes worried as she held the feather.

They stood together in silence, waiting for something to happen as the sun rose higher in the sky.

Both of them knew that this battle could change everything.

--

"Well." He smirked, looking at the crystal with its two gems surrounding it. "Enjoy your time with two gems, Luminous Crystal. Within an hour, you will be down to one, and closer to being the Shadow Crystal."

"Sir!" one of the recruits called as he appeared in the door, "The Sinis-Trio have been brought here."

"Send them out."

His back was straight and towards the door as he continued staring at the Crystal. He glanced over his shoulder when three sets of footsteps came from behind him. The Sinis-Trio stood behind him, waiting for him to speak.

"How would you like to take care of a pest that all of you have faced?"

"Depends. Who's the pest?" Ice smiled coldly, a smile that would easily freeze anyone it was directed at, flicking his hair out of his left eye to stare at him.

He smiled evilly back, "A certain Pokemon Ranger."

"What can we do to help you then?" Lavana's smile was, if possible, colder than Ice's. "If it's that _girl_…"

"It is." He turned to face them. "And if you'd like to help…" he gestured toward the two gems floating around the crystal, "Remove these roadblocks… and then she'll be yours to destroy."

"_Roi'_!" Heath grinned widely, pulling out a Pokeball, "Roi-perior'll take care ov i'!"

"Gallade will easily knock it away." Ice also pulled out a Pokeball.

"Don't forget Magmortar." Lavana gave a chuckle.

He sneered at them, turning back toward the crystal. It was remarkable how good it felt to be bad.

--

Kate felt a shiver running down her back as she watched the gleaming feather. Keith was still resting his hand on her shoulder. She felt him tighten his grip very slightly in reassurance. There was something flying out of the sunrise. Something headed toward them.

A Pokemon.

Kate took a deep breath, and lowered the feather. Her shoulder had been protesting holding it still in the sunrise for so long, and it protested again as she moved it. Keith moved his hand to grip hers, an anxious look on his face.

"You don't have to do this alone."

"I know."

Another deep breath. Another shared glance. Another gentle squeeze.

And the Pokemon was upon them.

--

"We can't do this anymore, Hastings."

Hastings looked over at Erma, his face drawn and tired, "I know, Erma… many more attacks and we won't have anyone to help…"

Erma's sigh was prolonged, and she looked like she was feeling her age. "We can't last another two days…"

Near the escalator leading into the empty room, a sad looking girl paused. She hadn't been noticed.

Christen went back down the escalator, deciding against telling them that Nate believed the Luminous Crystal was showing odd signs of regression. They obviously didn't need anything else to worry about.

--

"_You two have persevered._" The glowing bird looked at the two of them, sending shivers through Kate's body. Keith hadn't let go of her hand, and she almost thought that his grip had tightened. She was thankful that he was there.

"Yes." Keith spoke, falling into his decided role as spokesperson. Kate was shaking slightly, her eyes locked on the bird she remembered hearing legends of in Fiore. 

_Ho-oh. The legendary bird Ho-oh. The bird of the Tin Tower. The only pokemon that has never been caught before, either by Trainers or Rangers, and has never been studied. The only legendary that almost never shows himself._

_The only chance I might have._

She steadied herself and squeezed Keith's hand as if to make sure he was still there. Keith was explaining their situation to Ho-oh, who honestly didn't look impressed. She felt her free hand curling into a fist as the story ended and Ho-oh looked at them calculatingly.

"You have to believe us." Keith said softly, "We've come this far, we're not backing down."

"This is our last chance." Kate added with her eyes toward the ground. Something in her mind snapped and her gaze whipped upward, locking on the bird. "And if you won't give it to us, we'll just take what we need." She glared.

Ho-oh stared back at her for a moment of hesitation, before what could only be described as laughing at them. "_You think you can take what you 'need'? Prove it, children. Prove that you have what it takes._"

Kate let go of Keith's hand, and both of them prepared their Stylers. This would be the most amazing fight they had faced yet.

--

"Gallade, use Slash!"

"Magmortar, you use Fire Punch!"

"Roi'perior, Stone Edge!"

The blue gem quivered as it was hit, one attack after another landing on it, then it glowed slightly and fell to the floor. The yellow gem sat nearby, far enough away from the crystal to do nothing to help the blue gem.

"And then there was one." He chuckled, watching the red gem make it's orbit around the crystal, like a tiny flaming planet around a large, deformed sun. The crystal darkened even more and the clouds around them grew heavier, swirling around the tower ominously. The Drowzee guy lifted his head slightly, his eyes pained.

This couldn't be happening. It was supposed to be a happily ever after. Once the Shadow Crystal was turned, there was supposed to be no going back. That was why he was there, to offer a chance to show what it was like to young children who could see from the eyes of the remarkable ranger that had won their peace… and for that Ranger to relive the glory days if she so chose… it wasn't supposed to be like this…

He lowered his head again, tears pulling at his eyes. He had failed. He had taken his position at the tower to protect the Luminous Crystal, and he had failed to do so. Now there was even less hope of a happy ending.

He only wished he could have been dreaming, so none of this would ever have to happen.

An odd wish, for a man who never slept.

--

Kate paused, gasping slightly for breath. The battle wasn't over yet; it seemed, however, that both sides had called a temporary truce. She checked her Pokeballs, each of them filled with a fighter that was raring to go. She bit her lip.

"Keith!" she called, getting Keith's attention when she had her breath back, "I think we'll need to step it up a bit."

"Partners?"

"Partners!"

Keith nodded with a grin, tugging out the Pokeball that housed his Buizel. Kate tugged free four of the Pokeballs on her belt, calling, "Chimchar, Turtwig, Starly, Munchlax! Help us out! Pachi, you too!"

The six partners all lined up in front of Ho-oh, who looked from them to the two rangers who had determined frowns on their faces. "_It seems this battle has gone on long enough._" The feathers started glowing, as if he were charging for a final attack.

"Everyone, hurry! Chimchar use Flame Wheel, Turtwig, Razor Leaf, Starly, Steel Wing, Munchlax, Body Slam! Pachi, you use Thunderbolt!"

"Buizel, you use Water Pulse!"

The six partner pokemon all charged for their attacks, Pachi letting loose a thunderbolt attack almost a second before Turtwig let out Razor Leaf. Chimchar and Buizel followed quickly with Flame Wheel and Water Pulse, with Starly flying into the air and swooping toward Ho-oh with a Steel Wing while Munchlax threw himself at the bird with Body Slam.

Ho-oh seemed unaffected by the six attacks, and let loose a wave of purple fire that caught each of the pokemon, yelling out "Sacred Fire" as he did so.

_Damn that move…_ Kate thought angrily. Pachirisu, Buizel, and Starly all cried out in pain as they were burned, and Kate reached to her side to grab Starly and Pachirisu their Pokeballs if they wanted to go in them. Starly returned gratefully, but Pachirisu stood its ground. She frowned and tugged a Rawst berry from her belt, on which was two of each type of berry in a small pouch.

Pachirisu caught the Rawst berry when she tossed it, and ate it quickly. Once she saw the burn fading she called it back, ignoring the outraged squeak it made. She checked the bar for how much more they needed and growled. _Just a little more…_

"Kate! Look out!" Keith pushed her out of the way of a fire blast, the back of his jacket just missing being singed as he did so. He sighed and brushed the ash off of the sleeve, glaring at the bird.

"You're going down, Ho-oh." He growled, "No one messes up my jacket."

Kate smiled fondly, letting her capture disc free, "Let's finish this up, shall we?"

"Yes, let's." Keith grinned and directed his disc. Kate made hers chase his as they circled Ho-oh. 

_Just a little more…_

--

Rhythmi twitched in her sleep, lying next to Isaac with her head resting against his. Something odd was happening. She was sure she had been alone for the past day, alone in the dark recesses of her mind but now… she could hear the other captive's voices.

"_It's odd,_" she muttered to herself in that dark place, "_That I can hear them. Can they hear me, I wonder?_"

"_Rhythmi?_"

"_Isaac?_"

She turned around in space and there he was, beside her, smiling sadly. She felt her breath catch in her throat as he held out a hand.

"_Come on, the others are waiting. They heard your arrival._"

She hesitantly grasped his hand as he led her through the darkness, his thin frame and white lab coat contrasting sharply with the stifling blackness around them. She looked around, seeing small bubble shaped spaces of light that showed images around them.

There was the Ranger Union… and there was Vientown… and there was Haruba Desert… Hippowdon Temple… Almia Castle… All the locations Kate had told her so much about… and then there were more locations that she didn't know.

A sloping cavern where diamonds sparkled in the evening light, reflecting colors throughout them and creating a light show on the ground that was spectacularly beautiful… A large meadow full of tall grass that shifted in the wind, with flowers swaying in patches here and there… And a cozy little room, with a large coffee table in the middle and a wrap around couch that had eight others sitting in various positions.

Someone explained to her that because they were all asleep this was their dream room, but she was too busy thinking to recognize who it was. She glanced around again to see where everyone was, shaking slightly.

Sven and Wendy were sitting next to each other talking in hushed voices, in what looked like an argument. Melody and Kate's little sister were chatting excitedly, even though Melody was a couple of years older than Kate's Little Sis. Barlow and his team, the final four occupants of the room, were also conversing, though Crawford seemed to be taking bets on how well Kate would succeed this time.

No one mentioned the possibility that she might fail.

It was a very quiet and subdued Rhythmi that joined the group conversations, caught up in thoughts of her two best friends. She wondered what they could be doing at that moment. Had they faced their final conquest? Were they on their way back?

She didn't even notice that Isaac hadn't let go of her hand.

--

Ho-oh held up his wings in defeat, as the Stylers beeped out "OK!"s, and Kate recalled her capture disc.

"Now, damnit." She said with little patience left in her voice, "We've faced Mew, Mewtwo, Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres, Lugia, Entei, Raikou, and Suicune. You better be the Pokemon we need. I'm out of patience, so tell us what to do!"

Ho-oh looked up at her, "_The stones._" He intoned, and a final, crystal stone, this one shifting colors throughout the rainbow, appeared near her hand, "_Will help you in your final battle. Pokemon cannot do everything… you need to face the battle yourself, and win it for yourself. You will find out what to do with the stones when you return._"

"So… there is no pokemon that can… help us?" Kate asked as she took hold of the stone, looking into the swirls of color blankly.

"_Pokemon can help you, but they cannot win the battle for you._" Ho-oh explained, "_That, you must do yourself._"

Kate sighed, leaning against Keith who put an arm around her. That was the answer? That was what they had traveled so far to find? What a gyp!

Kate shook her head, "So… these stones are really the only thing this journey was good for?"

"_Not the only thing. Growth on your parts was quite important too. You know can truly face anything with your head held high._" She had to smile at that. It was true. She felt so much stronger… She knew she could face the final battle she was faced with.

"_So go, go and defeat your fears, and quell the darkness that is again settling over your land. Godspeed!_"

Kate nodded with determination lighting her eyes again, clenching the rainbow stone to her chest as she glanced at Keith, who looked similarly determined. They ran together toward the Pidgeots that Keith had caught before their battle, jumping onto them and rearing off for Almia.

It was going to be a good flight this time. One filled to the brim with the promises of success.

* * *

**AN: God DAMN. I should threaten you people more often. I asked for two reviews and I got TWENTY two. Y'all are amazing! **

**GAH SCHOOL STARTS TOMORROW. WHAT THE HELL MAN, WHAT THE HELL.**

**WHERE DID THE TIME GO.**

**I still have at least two more chapters, Damnit! (maybe three, depends on if I want to cut the final fight in two...)**

**...I just realized I'm actually going to finish this story. DAMN. I feel amazing! I've actually got a story that I'm going to be able to say I've completed from start to finish!**

**-Happyface-**

**Guess you guys are going to have to wait for me! ^^; I'm sorry, but I was so distracted with getting all the shit for school, and getting my hair cut, and getting new glasses, and talking to Ashlynn, and reading all the WONDERMOUS reviews you sent me that Every Time I tried to write the next chapter (and another wondermous review would appear...) I'd get distracted again... and thus it left me with early mornings before people woke up to work on it. FORGIVE ME?**

**You can easily make it much easier for me to continue by continuing to be wondermous and sending me wondermous reviews. Yes that sentence had doubles of a bunch of words. Deal with it and hit that review button.  
**

**A very excited and happy Tina.  
**

* * *


	16. Chapter Fourteen: Return to Almia

Kate let the wind sweep her bangs out of her face, the rest of her hair in its pigtails again as she flew near Keith. They were going back to Almia, to face off with someone Kate knew to be the villain in this challenge: Kincaid. And if what she feared was true, almost everyone was counting on them.

Keith glanced over at her, his brown eyes sparking with determination, as they neared the more familiar forests of Almia. Kate patted the restless Fearow she was riding on while she considered Keith silently, her eyes eagerly exploring his expression. Fear, worry, doubt… but also determination, calmness, and a sure look in his eyes. His mouth was set in a small line, but she could just see the edges turned upwards in the barest hint of a smile. She truly looked at him, and saw all of the things she had hoped for and more of the boy she loved.

The trees below them shifted fluidly into the trees of Almia, and the wind shifted from a just off headwind to a tail wind. Before she knew it, she was looking down at Partner Farm, with her other seven partners still there. Gible, Misdreavous, Shieldon, Snover, Piplup, Sneasel, and Hippopotas all called up to them in joyous tones as they flew overhead. Kate waved down at them, a happy smile on her face.

Chicole Village came next, its usual quietness unbroken as they passed overhead. As Vientown came into view, Kate's throat caught painfully. By the time they had passed Vien Forest and had gotten to Pueltown, she was crying silently.

They continued north in silence, watching Pueltown fall behind them while a large building loomed ahead, the clouds hanging around it's top heavily. Kate flinched slightly when she looked at the building.

Altru Inc. was the reigning champion in the top places she didn't want to be. Her stomach protested when they made the banking turn to land at the door. Keith landed first, watching as she jumped off the Fearow as she always jumped from flyers. She stumbled a few steps forward, nearly falling before Keith grabbed hold of her and steadied her. She looked up at him, very aware of how much taller than her he was. She took a ragged breath.

"This is it," she whispered hoarsely, looking at the building as the Fearow she had ridden hovered nearby instinctively. She knew it wanted to go back to Kanto, but it realized it could help her one more time before leaving. She was grateful. It meant she didn't have to capture anything. It meant she only had to go to the top of the tower and face Mr. Kincaid.

"Yeah," Keith nodded slightly, "this is it."

Kate took another deep breath, glancing anxiously at Keith for a second before deciding, "Keith, I need you to free the building. Go through all the floors and take out any obstacles and call Erma to let her know we're taking on Altru again. Ask her to send help for restraining… the guy behind this." She hesitated only slightly. She knew it was Kincaid but… if Keith knew he might refuse…

"Kate?" Keith tilted his head, "What do you mean?" his eyes widened, "You're not…"

"I gotta do this alone, Keith." She whispered, "I've gotta… know that I can face him alone now…" she cold see the disbelief on his face, "Please, Keith. You told Suicune you'd do anything to help me. Help me this way… a way that isn't dangerous to you…" she bit her lip, "…a way I know you'll walk away fro without injuries…" She stared pleadingly at him, begging with her eyes, "Please."

Keith debated silently whether to make a stand or cave in, glancing between his hands and the determinedly hopeful gaze of Kate. He could feel his resistance crumbling every time he looked at her. He forced his eyes away from her and sighed, "You're… sure?"

"Yes…" she pulled him into a hug, "for me, please…"

Keith nodded slightly, "…Any trouble at all… Voicemail me… and I'll be there as soon as I can." She nodded back, biting her lip. "Don't worry," he murmured, pulling her close, "I have faith in you. Have some faith in yourself… and go save the day again." He smiled sadly.

Kate grabbed his cheeks lightly and pulled him into a tender kiss. She pulled away.

"See you when it's over…" she whispered, her nose against his, before stepping back and running over to the Fearow and jumping on its back. She nudged it into flight, her long cloak flying out behind her as the Fearow circled to gain altitude. Keith watched her rise out of sight toward the top of the building. He touched his lips gently; eyes misting over with unshed tears. He didn't know why, but he dreaded reaching the top floor.

He let his hand fall, his gaze returning to the door as he steeled himself to walk in and start his mission.

--

Kate announced the mission specs into the microphone on her Styler, holding onto the Fearow with one hand and her knees as it rose upward.

"Mission: Save the Luminous Crystal." She recited, "Importance: Critical." Her voice quavered slightly, "Top Ranger: Kate Davies. Mission Type: Self-Assigned." The question 'Approved by' appeared on the screen and she frowned, "Approved by: Operator Linda Marcel. Submit Data."

'Processing' appeared on the screen. She glanced at the tower as her Styler progressed through the steps of forming the specs of a self-assigned mission of Critical Importance. She glanced back down as a "Approved!" sound came from her Styler, and the Mission name flashed across the screen.

_Save the Luminous Crystal. Critical Importance._

She took one more deep breath as the tower came into clear view. She prodded the Fearow still higher. 

_This is it._

--

A list of beeping mission specs appeared on the computer at the Ranger Union. Linda dried her eyes and read through them, her eyes widening and her mouth curling into a smile.

"THEY'RE ON IT!" she shouted as loud as she could, so everyone in the building could hear. Her happiness left her nearly hysterical, "Kate's… protecting the Luminous Crystal."

Christen jumped up slightly, "That's great!" she shrieked. She glanced at Noah, who looked hopeful. With any luck, this would be over today… then they could move on…

--

Ice huffed in impatience, glancing over at the Almost-Shadow Crystal, then at the ten recruits prepping their Pokemon to attack the last gem. He glanced at Lavana, who was readjusting her make up. He walked over and planted himself in front of her, staring at her solemnly as she finished up.

"Yes?" she asked, her tone blasé, not looking up until she was certain she looked perfect.

"You look fine, you don't need to primp." He intoned, "Stop wasting time."

Lavana frowned at him, and he turned away. He looked toward the final member of the Sinis-Trio, the member he didn't think really fit in anywhere. Heath, with his usually happy disposition (which could get annoying at times), was a sort of oddball out when it came to missions of the Sinis-Trio.

"Roi'!" the blond man grinned, patting his Rhyperior as he chuckled in a good mood. "Time ta finizh thiz up!"

Ice's left eye twitched in annoyance, and he determinedly looked away. He would not lose his cool. "We still need to wait for the _noob_ to appear, Heath." He pointed out, "We can't finish this up before she comes… that's just not how it's done."

"Torture her little already-offset mind with the sight of her ultimate defeat." Lavana sighed happily, "Such a beautiful picture."

Ice smirked slightly, glancing at the bubblegum haired woman beside him. She could be so devious and so mean at the same time… it was such a beautiful sight to him. She certainly had her points of annoyance (her obsession with her looks, for example), but he truly had to admire the determination she could show when it came to causing pain.

"You'd be surprised how much you can hurt someone before they pass out," Lavana pointed out blandly, looking at her nails. "Or go insane…" she chuckled with a smirk, "A little more time and we can destroy her from the mind out."

Ice let out a loud laugh, being joined by Lavana and Heath only seconds afterward.

--

Kate could barely hear three voices beginning to laugh loudly. She didn't like the sound of that at all. She checked the release button on her Styler; shivering as the wind got colder the higher she went. She tugged the hood on her cloak over her head, covering her pigtails and her bangs, leaving her eyes in shadow. She shivered again, this time from unease.

The Fearow cleared the top of the tower, going up twenty feet more before she slipped off it and landed on the roof, her hood still covering her eyes. She released her Styler before looking up to meet the shocked-turning-angry faces before her. The Sinis-Trio. _Great_.

She stood up again, her capture disc already flying around the two Drowzee standing off to the side and several of the pokemon standing around beside people in the tell-tale Team Dim Sun suits. The Drowzee were the first to return to normal from control, and she barked at them, "Help your helper."

The Drowzees instantly waddled over toward the Drowzee guy, who had passed out at some time a few minutes before. She spared the man a passive glance, feeling thankful he didn't have to witness the monstrosity of a battle that she now faced. She turned to the Sinis-Trio, who had Pokeballs in their hands and were staring at her as if trying to decide whether she was worth it.

--

"Froslass." Ice called, eyeing the cloaked figure in curiosity, "Take care of the intruder." He let out his Froslass, still staring at the person as they let their Styler out as well. Frosslass moved to attack, and was instantly surrounded by a quick moving capture disc.

"You don't recognize me?" the person asked, holding a hand to their chest while the other directed the Styler on their arm, "I'm hurt."

Ice growled as Froslass cried out in distress, unable to attack the moving capture disc. He recognized that voice well enough.

"So, Kate-noob, you've decided to join us." He muttered as the Styler on her arm let out an "OK!". The cloak around the girl before him fluttered in the wind, "And you upgraded your wardrobe, it seems."

"Infernape!" Lavana yelled, tossing her Infernape into the mix. Ice called back Froslass, giving her a chance to recover from the onslaught of 'friendship'.

Ice let out his Garchomp, which growled at Kate as she tossed her hood off her head, her pigtails swaying slightly in the wind. Her eyes were glowing with determination, something none of the Sinistrio expected. Her mouth was a small, un-amused line. She stared impassively at them, Ice in particular.

Kate didn't respond to Ice's insult, instead calmly capturing Lavana's Infernape and his Garchomp as well, her capture disc almost a blur as it moved around at the barest twitch of her fingers.

"You three always annoyed me," she murmured, as Heath let out his Magneton. Lavana narrowed her eyes at her, and she grabbed the second Pokeball on Heath's belt. Heath protested, and was ignored by Lavana, who threw out the Electevire it contained.

Kate sent out Turtwig, which stared down the two Electric types strongly, and Pachirisu, who stood beside Turtwig firmly. The two small pokemon stood before her as the two electric types stood before the Sinis-Trio.

Ice smirked, "Simple two on two battle?" he announced.

"I don't expect you to keep to the rules." Kate muttered, "As long as you keep out only two, I'll keep out only two." She nodded to Turtwig, "Turtwig, use Leech Seed followed by Razor Leaf. Pachi… do what you do best."

The two pokemon chattered and got ready to attack while Heath growled, "Magn'ton, Dischahge! 'Lectavi-ah, Spah-k ball!"

Kate watched her pokemon expertly dodging, Turtwig using Leech seed on the Electevire and the Magneton while Pachirisu charged up a Bolt Tackle. She kept one eye on the Luminous Crystal, her eyes narrowing.

_Where was…?_

--

Everyone had stopped speaking in that cozy room, looking at each other anxiously. "I'm not the only one who can hear that, right?" Rhythmi asked quietly. One by one the others all nodded. They could hear it too.

A battle.

Nearby.

Which could only mean one thing.

"They're here…" Melody whispered excitedly.

Rhythmi bit her lip, listening hard, "No… only Kate is. Keith wouldn't be that silent, not for something as big as this… he's not with her." She declared; looking worried now. Kate was good, but could she do it alone?

The others around her shivered in anticipation: avoiding each other's gazes as they tried not to show how anxious they really were. Rhythmi shivered as well, glancing at Isaac and then down at their hands, gripped together in worry for their friend. Rhythmi's face tinged with red again.

She glanced at Isaac, who turned to meet her gaze. She bit her lip as his face turned pink as well. He didn't let go of her hand, however. She leaned against his shoulder, her heart beating wildly as he rested his head against hers.

They were both worried.

--

Out of nowhere, a familiar voice called lazily, "Poison Sting."

Kate winced as pain shot through her shoulder, raising a hand to hold it as blood started flowing from it. She could feel hot fire rushing through her veins, winding its way down her side until she couldn't feel her shoulder and ribs from the pain.

Turtwig used Razor Leaf, which connected as Pachi completed its Bolt Tackle attack. The two enemy Pokemon fell to the ground, unable to continue battling.

Turtwig returned to its Pokeball shortly after the two enemies returned to theirs. Pachi stood next to Kate, chattering anxiously up at her as Kate winced from the poison spreading through her body. She reached into her berry pocket to find that she was out of Pecha berries.

Perfect_. _Just_. Fricking. _PERFECT_._

The Sinis-Trio backed away as Kincaid walked forward, his gaze maniacal as he watched her face contort in pain.

"So close, aren't we?" he sneered, sending shivers down Kate's spine. She was standing in front of Mr. Kincaid, hurt and poisoned, while he was standing with a Gengar and a Gliscor next to him.

She was afraid.

* * *

**AN: Okay. So I decided to cut the final battle in two and throw some shameless Isaac/Rhythmi fluff in there. SO you have two more chapters after this one. Which should come quickly, since I'm working on the chapters whenever I can at school in my notebook anyway xD**

**I TYPED THIS ALL LAST NIGHT AND THIS MORNING. I WAS SLEEP DEPRIVED LAST NIGHT SO IT MIGHT SHOW.**

**So yeah. YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS?!**

**REVIEW AND CONVINCE ME TO POST.  
**

* * *


	17. Chapter Fifteen: Final Battle

**AN: YOU PEOPLE ARE GOING TO HATE ME WITH A BURNING, UNSTOPPABLE, FIERY FLIPPING PASSION. *goes to get flame shield* You will see what I mean at the end of the chapter. Just please be nice with your reviews as this has been planned for nearly seven chapters... The authoress of this story would like to live to make it to the epilogue, please.**

**Also, shorter chapter. Chock full of actiony goodness though. Enjoy.**

**

* * *

**Keith grabbed the black-clothed recruit by the neck, smacking the back of his head with the brunt of his elbow. The recruit went slack in his grip and he glanced at the fearful scientists staring at him, "You're free." He announced, moving on.

He wanted to get to the top of the building as soon as possible, but even HE was being cautious enough to make sure he had gotten everything on each floor. He was making sure that nothing could hinder the help that was already on its way. He glanced down at the Styler attached to his forearm, biting his lip and wondering what was going on.

He moved to the next floor.

Three recruits hindered his way almost as soon as he stepped from the elevator, and he let Buizel out of its Pokeball to deal with them while he looked around for any strays. The powerful Watergun Buizel used slammed all three recruits into the opposite wall, knocking them unconscious.

"Damn." He looked at Buizel, "You pack a punch." He frowned deeply, "You should be a Floatzel soon. Why won't you evolve, crazy water weasel…"

Buizel sent a water gun into his face.

"Okay, okay!" he blocked the stream of water with a huff, "Touchy…"

--

Christen walked with Noah into the building, looking around at the relaxing workers who looked like they hadn't slept in weeks. They were the retrieval agents… the ones expected to pick up and restrain all the enemy agents in the building. Who, she thought hopefully, had already been knocked out.

It would certainly make things easier for them, the two rookies…

Noah lugged a few knocked out enemies out of the building while she checked on the workers. They had pokemon that would possibly make it easier to take care of the enemies… and she had her partner, a hyperactive Eevee that had just evolved into an Espeon, to help her if she needed it.

She just hoped that they could help some way.

--

Rhythmi shivered in Isaac's arms, feeling the horrible feeling in her chest increasing. Something had happened. Something horrible.

Isaac tightened his worried grip on the shaking blonde, frowning anxiously. His heart was beating rapidly as he listened desperately for any more speaking in the world of the awake. Nothing came to their quiet room, which made everyone even more nervous.

This wasn't good at all.

--

Kincaid was almost giddy at the sight before him, the wounded form of Kate flinching as pain traveled throughout her bloodstream _grâce à _the poison he had used. The mere thought that he was removing, FINALLY removing the thorn that had been in his side since day one was almost enough to send shivers down his spine. He sneered at her while he stepped into view, victory plain on his face.

He was going to win… for once; he was actually going to win.

It didn't matter if the loathsome little brat _Keith_ showed up, because Kate was _doomed_. He would use his Gengar on the other pests, throwing all the captives off the tower after the two decimated rangers had fallen to their own doom. The only thing that really mattered now… was gloating to the already dying girl in front of him.

"So close, aren't we?" he sneered at her, watching her shiver in fear as she looked at him. He savored the feeling of victory even more than he had before. It was true that he was going to win. He was going to accomplish what Blake Hall had failed to do.

He was going to remove the last obstacle… and take his throne before a world that would be shrouded in darkness soon enough. And Darkrai would be by his side to help him rule for all eternity.

All was going according to plan.

--

Pain flooded her system in a slow march, moving from her still bleeding shoulder downward in waves of soldiers wearing pointy shoes (Don't laugh, it really hurt and her pain-filled mind was making metaphors that made no sense). She could feel the slowly moving fire as it ate away at her bloodstream, making it hard to breath; she could _feel_ it moving down to her already shaking legs, causing her to quiver as she struggled to keep her footing. Both of her arms were numb with pain.

Still, she stared at the victorious form of Kincaid before her, smirking suavely as he removed the sunglasses from his thin nose. The black hair was slicked back, not unlike how Blake Hall had worn it at one time.

"Still looking like Blake Hall, Mister Swirly Hair?" she asked weakly, wincing as the words leapt from her dry and cracking throat, tasting the coppery iron taste of blood as her already dry throat was attacked by the sound waves. Odd, when had her throat gotten so dry?

Kincaid's sneer widened as he glanced down at the garbs he wore. "Blake Hall formed the look." He muttered just loud enough for everyone to hear, "_I_ improved it."

"Get over yourself…" Kate whispered as the blood flooded her mouth, swallowing it before raising her gaze to his again. She glanced over his clothes, the simple black suit with white lapel and purple handkerchief, once again reminded of Blake Hall. It was almost as if Kincaid had based his entire look off of the former president of Altru.

It was… just a LITTLE creepy.

"I must say I'm impressed with how far you've come, Miss Davies…" Kincaid smirked, using his teacher-scolding-a-bad-student voice as he paced before her. "You've made record time on captures…" his mouth curled into an almost approving grin, "…that would have taken any other exceptional amounts of time to complete.

"You've come so far to the end of your journey when many others would simply have given up…" his grin curled into a leer, "…much smarter, actually.

"You've even come close to completing your little _Mission_, coming right to the end of the road." He turned his gaze on her, "And I mean that literally. This is the end of the line for you. I'm making sure of it.

"Because no matter how much you've done, I'm afraid I must tell you…" he sneered at her, "_You've still failed._"

Her breath hitched and she coughed, more blood flooding her throat. The spatter of blood by her feet made her flinch; she knew it had come from her mouth.

She locked her eyes on the pile of captives lying asleep behind him, heads resting on other heads, shoulders, knees, and even chests. They were thrown haphazardly among each other… her gaze traveled to Rhythmi, her first friend in Almia.

Rhythmi's head was toward her, almost as if she was sending silent hopes for Kate. Rhythmi wished her well, she knew.

A quick glance showed Kate that Rhythmi was holding on tightly to Isaac's hand in sleep, a sight that made her smile even in the horrid situation she found herself in. Isaac was gripping Rhythmi's hand just as tightly which made her weak smile widen. _About time_, she thought morbidly as the pain pulsing through her body made her drop to one knee, flinching.

She had her left hand tightly gripping onto her right shoulder, blood still leaking through her fingers and staining the light tan cloak she wore red. She gasped for breath, her increasingly dry throat protesting every wheeze.

The poison was killing her; she knew it. It was making it harder and harder to breathe and the pulsing pain throughout her body was slowly but surely sapping her strength. Her head swam, her eyes blurring everything into colors.

Her right hand slipped into her pocket desperately, though she didn't know what good she thought it would do. The only things in that pocket were the ten glowing stones… ten… ten captives… ten friends needing her to succeed.

Her eyes widened in realization and her fingers wrapped around four of the small stones. She desperately hoped she had enough strength and coordination to throw them to Barlow and his team…

Her hand extended and her eyes closed, a grunt of pain escaping her already bleeding throat as the stones flew toward the captives. A clatter of crystal against metal and a rolling noise alerted her she had really let go. She couldn't feel her hands anymore. Her vision was graying at the edges, colors blending into each other and moving around.

Another sudden pain in her side came after a muffled voice spoke and she looked down to see more dark red. More blood. If the poison didn't kill her fast enough, the blood loss would.

It was getting hard to think. She was almost mechanically throwing the last of the stones.

Thundering footsteps accompanied her arms falling limply as the last stone was thrown. She could see people moving, people who had been still before… Her eyes closed slightly as strong arms lifted her by her shoulders, the pain a constant throb now. Her head lolled forward and her lungs burned.

She couldn't take it anymore.

She was dying.

--

Her vision darkened and her eyes closed. She slumped forward, hearing the distant thunder of feet and desperate calls of her name. And above all the sound, she could hear Keith.

"NO!"

* * *

**AN: *hides behind flame shield***

**Okay... shorter than usual AND with a really bad cliffhanger. I warned you all that you would hate me. As I said before, please don't kill me with your hatred. *hides again* I REALLY wanna get to the epilogue...  
**


	18. Epilogue: Back to Normality

The sun shone brightly overhead as people helped each other up the hill, faces drawn and tired and with a certain amount of sadness on each. Starly's fluttered around the large group of people trudging toward the top of the hill, dressed in traditional black.

At the back of the group, three seventeen year olds walked slowly, climbing together. The girl was dressed in a dark hunter green Operator uniform. The shorter boy had a tuxedo on, and he looked uncomfortably around at the taller boy, whose ranger uniform looked much better than it had when he first reappeared in Almia.

Keith, Rhythmi, and Isaac walked together toward the top of the hill where sad music from the Go Rock Quads was playing, advertising for all who wanted to hear that there was a funeral.

A funeral that no one wanted to have happened. The ranger union had surely lost a valuable ranger.

Keith kept his gaze on the top of the hill for a moment, his mouth in a somber frown. Rhythmi stumbled. Isaac offered his arm. They continued a few more steps in silence.

"Wait." Keith muttered suddenly, looking over at the two as he stopped and glanced down the hill. Isaac and Rhythmi halted and also looked down the hill, small, sad smiles on their faces.

Another form trudged slowly toward the trio, bandages around her torso and over her shoulder shining white in the sunlight beneath the red ranger jacket. The rest of her outfit was the same as before, if a little more loosely fitting. The only other thing that could be noted as different about her was her slow limp; one leg was slightly weaker than the other because of the cut her side had taken. Besides that, she was almost as cheerful as she had been before everything.

Kate smiled ever so slightly when she caught up with her three friends, grabbing onto Keith's arm when he offered it to her and letting him help her the rest of the way to the top of the hill. There were people standing around the white coffin, and in the front of the group were the two solemn forms of Christen and Noah.

Everyone respectfully kept their distance from the two, who moved to the coffin first. Christen placed a rose on top of it and leaned against Noah, crying silently. Noah wiped his eyes lightly, wrapping an arm around Christen's shoulders and bowing his head solemnly.

The rest of the funeral passed in a blur, everyone giving their best to Christen and Noah and wishing them well. Kate, Keith, Isaac, and Rhythmi slipped away shortly after the ceremony ended, walking with each other away from Breeze Hill where everyone was still mourning. Nabiki beach sand soon crunched under their feet. They paused together, friends finally reunited, and sat on the beach near the water. Kate kicked off her shoes and leaned against Keith. Rhythmi leaned against Isaac.

For a few moments, none of them made a sound, each lost in their own thoughts. Then Kate sighed happily.

"It's over." She whispered with her eyes closing as she rested her head against Keith's shoulder. "It's finally over."

"We survived." Keith chuckled.

Isaac rested his arm lightly around Rhythmi, pulling her closer as he watched the sun setting over the water. "It's been forever since the four of us hung out, just us. What was the last time?"

"Spinz, in the library, I believe." Rhythmi chuckled, "Back in Ranger School."

"Yeah." Kate chuckled a second, then stopped and rested her hand against her aching side.

"Careful, Kate." Keith cautioned her, "We only barely got you bandaged up in time, thanks to Darkrai, you know."

"Yeah, yeah. Darkrai transported me through the darkness to the Ranger Union so I could get bandaged up…" Kate sighed, "It also explains what he was trying to do before our little adventure, on Altru Tower when Kincaid was there. He was trying to get me away."

"Kincaid's been interrogated." Rhythmi announced, "He told Sven and Wendy that he had been using the microchips to frame Kate, trying to get her out of the picture in the beginning. He also declared he'd nearly succeeded, too."

"He probably did, from his point of view." Isaac said thoughtfully, "As far as he could see, Kate was simply disappearing into the darkness."

"Yeah well…" Kate sighed, "I'm really glad to be out of the darkness, thank you very much."

Keith kissed the top of her head, smiling. Rhythmi relaxed against Isaac while her ankle crossed over Kate's. The two couples sat in silence again for a few more moments until Rhythmi declared she was tired and wanted to go home to sleep. Isaac helped her up and offered his hand, smiling at her. She took it without hesitation.

Before they walked up the stairs and out of sight of Kate and Keith, Rhythmi turned Isaac around and kissed him, full on the lips. Kate chuckled slightly, "About damn time!"

"Hey lovebirds!" Keith called, "Get a room!"

"Get one yourself!" Rhythmi called back, "Jokester Keith!" Isaac blinked before smiling widely, turning Rhythmi back and kissing her.

Kate chuckled again, turning to Keith. Keith turned his head toward hers and she smiled. Keith smiled back.

With the setting sun as their witness, the two kissed once more as an official couple in the eyes of Almia.

--

"Mom! Dad!" Kate yelled waving with her left hand as her parents climbed off the boat and ran over to her and her little sister. The family hugged, tears flowing down more than one face. Off to the side, the blue haired hero of Fiore chuckled and glanced toward her darker blue haired companion.

"Nice reunion, eh, Lunick?" she asked with a smile.

"Definitely, Solana." Lunick grinned, "Definitely."

Kate was hugging her father happily, and she whispered to him, "I still expect that vegetable stew."

Her father laughed.

--

The Drowzee guy chuckled at the young girl who poked her head unsurely out of the door, biting her lip.

"How can I help you, young one?" he asked her, watching unblinkingly as she shuffled her way over to him.

The girl sat down in front of him, staring up at him, "I wanna know what happened to big sister." She declared, her dark blond hair falling in long pigtails on either side of her face. "Why exactly she got hurt… and what she did, since she won't tell me the story until she heals up."

"If I honor that request, you'd feel the same kind of pain as she did." The Drowzee guy warned her, gauging her reaction.

She nodded solemnly, "Show me what happened."

The Drowzee guy nodded solemnly back at her, "Very well."

The young girl slumped forward, sleeping peacefully while the Drowzee guy glanced at the Luminous Crystal, once again united with the three gems. A new generation of heroes was growing into the required maturity. Soon, Almia would have others to rely on than only Kate, the girl who had quelled her own darkness.

He was glad to see the youngest of the new heroes beginning to take her path.

--

Sven tugged Wendy up the escalator grinning. Wendy frowned at him, wondering what it was all about. Under the Tree of Harmony, Sven whirled around and pulled her in for a kiss.

It was a short kiss, and Wendy slapped him after it on principle.

Then she kissed him, long and hard.

They returned to the Operations Room with smug smiles on their faces, holding hands while everyone (especially Linda) cheered.

--

Floating above Almia, a dark speck to any observer, Darkrai looked down on his world. The world he had come to need to protect. The world he treasured more than anything else.

"_She did well._" He spoke to himself, chuckling, "_Not even you can deny that she did well._"

"_Well,_" Ho-oh replied as he flew near Darkrai, "_I never said she wouldn't._"

"_True._" Darkrai allowed, "_She has proven herself in more than one way during this journey. She deserves the rest she is getting._"

"_Though for how long?_" Ho-ho asked seriously, looking down at Almia, "_How long before another enemy appears?_"

"_Only time will tell._" Darkrai sighed, "_Only time will tell._"

* * *

The End

* * *

**AN: BAM! Take that, Fanfiction! TAKE THAT, LIFE! I WROTE A FRICKING NOVEL, _START TO FRICKING FINISH! _Now to think about the sequel that I put off thinking about. ^^;**

***feels very accomplished* I wrote a full fledged novel. That's right, people of the world, THIS STORY IS OVER FIFTY THOUSAND WORDS! I'm so happy!**

**This is also TECHNICALLY my first multichapter story done from start to finish! I've cleared two roadblocks today! **

**I want to thank EVERYONE for your amazing reviews, and for sticking around long enough to read this Author's note. All ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY EIGHT FRICKING REVIEWS really encouraged me to finish this! (that is, by the way, more than six times as many reviews as I've gotten on any other story, I believe) **

**Lots of thanks to... **

**BlazieAura, AwsyWing, Ketchum Kid, Fishy ApplePie, Fluffy Lady, HorseMagic17, Tigmamanukan Mayari, phantomdare1, Butterfly217, Roses For The Kind, StrawBerriKitty, Berry Eon, Roses 'n Horses, Moona-Kat, Superikku, Timberstar, ChiRuOboe, Eire13, Vizz, iflip4dolphins, Hollywing, PokemonRangerKid, TakariFan8816, PokemonForever, AshleyKim01, shadow-dog18, Amaterasu77, Rena Tatsuyama, Tainted-Raven, Hatsuka-Chan, Ravenclaw53, Jigglypuff's Pillow, ZannaB, KatsuNoPawaa, The dragon of the moon and sun, Kashiko-Chan, animepeaceangel, Azul_Angel1251596, lizziekoda, Mingipooo, JellyBrain, eevee28, Miki-chi23, Cuddles da Shaymin, Leopardnose42, dardette9, saya-plus, KeithXKate1234, Gilded Game God, Wyla, HowltheWolf, Soulgrlzz999, and all the other anonomous reviewers (Except Emil. Take that, Emil! Darkrai HAD no malicious intent throughout this story!). **

**AND OF COURSE, special thanks go to my Ego Buddy, Flaming Blizzard.**

**AND ALSO OF COURSE, I have to thank my BFF Ashlynn. For listening to me when I ranted and raved about the pairing, for agreeing to draw a quick picture for me when I was in a slump to get me back on track, for reading my chapters and telling me when I needed to change things, and for putting up with me throughout the duration of this story! ILY Ashlynn!**

**Have Faith In Yourself is fricking OUT!  
**


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